Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams has endorsed the Centre's Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a "game-changer for impoverished Muslims." The reforms aim to streamline management of 5,388 registered waqf properties across the state - including mosques, madrasas, and agricultural lands - with Haridwar (1,930) and Dehradun (1,721) holding maximum assets.
The Waqf Amendment Bill introduces three key reforms: an anti-encroachment drive to reclaim illegally occupied properties, a transparency mandate requiring digital audits of all charitable assets, and a welfare focus to redirect revenues toward education and community services for Muslim beneficiaries.
