AIMPLB flags difficulties in registering waqf properties on portal, calls for deadline extension

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday flagged technical difficulties in registering all waqf properties on the UMEED portal and called for extending the deadline.

The Centre launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Act central portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory after geo-tagging all waqf properties. According to the mandate of the UMEED portal, details of all registered waqf properties across India are to be mandatorily uploaded within six months.

AIMPLB spokesperson S Q R Ilyas said that after the Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline of the portal, mutawallis across the country rushed to upload waqf properties details.

"However, reports have been pouring in from everywhere that the portal is repeatedly crashing, slowing down and at times stopping entirely. Evidently, it is almost impossible to upload lakhs of properties within such a short period," Ilyas said in a statement.

The Board has, therefore, decided to immediately seek a meeting with Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian to draw his attention to these difficulties and request that not only should the technical issues be resolved but the deadline for the portal should also be extended.

Ilyas said a letter in this regard was sent to the minister via both email and post by the Board's general secretary, Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, on Wednesday.

In his letter, the general secretary has reminded the minister that the government itself intended that all waqf properties already registered with the waqf boards must be uploaded on the portal.

"However, due to the portal's slow speed and other technical problems, this could not be achieved. Moreover, the given period for uploading more than eight lakh properties was too short.

"Although the Board and various religious and community organisations held workshops across the country and set up help desks at many places, the sheer volume of work remained overwhelming," the letter said.

Ilyas further said if an appointment with the minister is granted, the delegation will include the central leadership of the Board as well as the heads of major religious and community organisations.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend time for the mandatory registration of all waqf properties, including 'waqf by user', under the UMEED portal.

A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih asked the petitioners to approach the respective tribunals before deadline.

"Our attention has been drawn to the proviso to Section 3B. Since the remedy before the tribunal is available before the applicants, we dispose of all the applications by granting them liberty to approach the tribunal by the last date of the six-month period," the bench said.

Besides the AIMPLB, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and various others have moved the top court, seeking an extension of time for mandatory registration of all waqf properties. PTI ASK ASK KSS KSS