AIMPLB delegation urges Rijiju to extend Waqf registration deadline

New Delhi: A delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), along with some MPs,met Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju Thursday, urging him to grant a one-year extension for registering Waqf properties on the ‘UMEED’ portal after the deadline for doing so expired last week.

Some office-bearers of the AIMPLB, along with MPs Asaduddin Owaisi, Mohammad Javed, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Chandrashekhar Azad, met Rijiju here.

In a post on X, Rijiju said, Had an engaging interaction with the delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board at my office today. We discussed issues related to registration of Waqf properties in the UMEED Portal and pleasantly exchanged ideas.

The delegation presented a memorandum containing several demands, according to a statement issued by the AIMPLB.

In the meeting, the delegation explained in detail the difficulties and technical issues encountered while uploading registered Waqf properties on the UMEED portal, due to which lakhs of properties could not be registered, the statement said.

The delegation pointed out that the responsibility of uploading properties already registered with the Waqf Boards should have rested with the Waqf Boards themselves, and at least two years should have been given for the task.

Therefore, we request that the deadline for uploading the properties that remain unregistered be extended by at least one year. …Firstly, the six-month time limit prescribed for uploading all registered Waqf properties was extremely short.

Secondly, many technical problems and glitches were faced while uploading details on the portal. Therefore, uploading all properties became extremely difficult and practically impossible, it said.

It is also important to note that the declaration forms to be submitted by the ‘mutawallis’ or caretakers and the chief executive officers of the Waqf Boards were notified for the first time July 3, 2025, through the UMEED Rules, the AIMPLB said.

Therefore, the date of launching the portal June 6, 2025, cannot be treated as the date of commencement of the Act, as this is not the date specified in the Act, it said.

In view of the above challenges and difficulties, we request that the initial six-month period mentioned in the Act be extended by at least one more year, after which, if required, applicants may approach the Tribunal for further extension, the delegation said.

Congress MP Mohamed Javed said, We raised the problems related to the UMEED portal with the minister, and he assured us that the difficulties would be resolved.

He said that resolving the issues related to the portal is crucial because millions of Waqf properties have not yet been registered.

A total of 5.17 lakh Waqf properties were initiated on the UMEED portal, while 2,16,905 properties were approved by the designated approvers during the six-month window provided, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The UMEED Central Portal for management of Waqf Properties in India, launched by Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju June 6, 2025, officially closed for uploads on December 6, 2025, completing its six-month window, as per the UMEED Act, 1995, and directions of the Supreme Court.

Rijiju last had ruled out extending the deadline for registering Waqf properties on the UMEED portal, but said his ministry, recognising the concerns of ‘mutawallis’, will not impose any penalty or take strict action for the next three months as a humanitarian and facilitative measure.

The Centre launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Act central portal to create a digital inventory.

According to the provisions of the portal, details of all registered Waqf properties across the country must be uploaded within six months, i.e by December 6.

The government, through the Ministry of Minority Affairs, said it wants to modernise the Waqf administration and unlock the full developmental potential of Waqf properties for the benefit of minority communities.

Orissa POST- Read’s No.1 Trusted English Daily

Comments are closed.