Those Left Out Can Approach Waqf Tribunal, Says Minister

NEW DELHI: Over 4.6 lakh waqf property uploads had been initiated till Friday evening on the minority affairs ministry’s UMEED central portal. The six-month deadline for uploading details, keeping with the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, will end Saturday, and Union minister Kiren Rijiju made it clear that there will be no extension. Those left out can approach the waqf tribunal, he said. However, the ministry has said as a “humanitarian and facilitative” measure for those who were unable to register, no penalties or strict action will be initiated for the next three months, enabling those who may have not been able to upload due to genuine reasons to approach the tribunal. As per the law, only if the tribunal is satisfied with the reasons for not filing within the deadline, it can allow an extension of up to six months.The ministry also issued a statement on minority affairs minister Rijiju’s remarks to reporters on Friday. “The six-month deadline mandated under the Act has ended, and cannot be extended due to provisions of the Act, and clear directions of the SC,” he added.“However, recognising the concerns of mutawallis, the minister assured that the ministry will not impose any penalties or take strict action for the next three months as a humanitarian and facilitative measure,” the ministry said.“Mutawallis who are unable to complete registration process before midnight on Saturday can approach the waqf tribunal, which has the legal authority to grant an extension. The minister has repeatedly emphasised that any change in the legally mandated timeline is not possible, as it is bound by the law passed by Parliament and upheld by SC,” it said.The Centre had launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) central portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory after geo-tagging all waqf properties which will be assigned a unique ID number.