Waqf Bill will be passed in the Parliament in coming days: Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was committed to the management and preservation of Waqf properties and would be passed in the Parliament in the coming days.

At a press conference held to mark 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s third tenure, Shah said the Bill would also prevent the misuse of Waqf properties. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last month and referred to a joint committee of Parliament for further examination after opposition parties raised strong objections to certain provisions of the draft law.

A government official said the Bill was aimed at reducing conflicts and disputes. It also has provisions for setting up a digital platform for online registration and monitoring of Waqf properties.

Listing out the government’s achievements in the first 100 days, an official said 63,000 tribal villages will be developed with an aim to improve the socio-economic status of five crore tribals.

Shah also said that the government has implemented several farmer-friendly policies in its first 100 days of the third term with focus on improving agricultural productivity and exports. Listing works initiated for the welfare of the farmers, he also said the Modi government has launched the agriculture fund to support startups and rural enterprises, driving agricultural innovation.

Shah highlighted key achievements in the farm sector, including the disbursement of Rs 20,000 crore to 9.3 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first decision of his third term was disbursement of Rs 20,000 crore to 9.3 crore farmers under the 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi. So far, Rs 3 lakh crore has been disbursed to 12.33 crore farmers,” Shah said.

In the wake of rail accidents, the Home Minister said any conspiracy to cause such accidents will not last long and the government will soon unveil an initiative for the protection of the 1.10 lakh km railway network across the country.

Shah said he had discussed the issue of railway safety with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the last two days. “As far as accidents are concerned, we will investigate the root cause of this. Whatever the reason, the government is committed to addressing the issue. If this is a conspiracy, it will not last long. If there are gaps, they will be plugged,” Shah said. On the Meitei-Kuki issue in Manipur, Shah said the government is talking to both the communities to ensure lasting peace and has begun fencing the country’s border with Myanmar to check infiltration.