Cabinet nod to bill making wakf properties public premises

The union cabinet Thursday gave its approval to a bill that seeks to give wakf properties the status of public premises and make unauthorized occupation of such land a criminal offence.

The Wakf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Bill is expected to be tabled in the resumed winter session of parliament beginning Feb 5.

Though there is no exact estimate of the extent of unauthorized occupation of wakf properties, estimates say it could be well over 50 percent.

The Justice Sachar Committee had recommended that wakf properties be treated as public premises as these properties are for the benefit of public and not for individuals and encroachment on these properties should be treated as encroachment on government land, an official release said.