Assembly Elections Delay Study Tour on Waqf Bill Amendments

The Joint Parliamentary Committee's study tour on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, visiting Guwahati, Patna, and Lucknow, has been postponed due to assembly elections. Initially planned from November 9-14, the tour aimed to review the bill, with a report expected by the first week of the Winter Parliament session.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee's (JPC) scheduled study tour for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has been postponed in key cities like Guwahati, Patna, and Lucknow. This decision comes as several committee members are engaged in assembly elections across Maharashtra and Jharkhand, alongside other by-elections in different states.

Originally announced by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the study tour intended to span five Indian cities, including Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow, between November 9 and November 14. This tour is a crucial part of examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to overhaul the management and regulation of Waqf properties nationwide.

In an official statement, Joint Secretary JM Baisakh communicated the purpose of this study visit as crucial for the committee's comprehensive review of the proposed legislation. Despite the postponement, efforts to reform the Waqf Act continue, with the JPC having already conducted 25 meetings and heard from a range of stakeholders since August, further planning to present its report early in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

(With inputs from agencies.)