Only 27% of Waqf Properties Registered On UMEED Portal; Bengal Lags, Karnataka Leads

Only a little over a quarter of the country’s Waqf properties have been registered on the government’s UMEED portal, with West Bengal emerging as the poorest performer, data shows. Waqf Board officials are now preparing to approach tribunals after the registration deadline ended on Saturday.

Out of approximately 8 lakh Waqf properties nationwide, only 2.16 lakh have been successfully registered on the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) website, according to official figures. A total of 10,872 applications were rejected out of 5.17 lakh submitted.

Karnataka topped the list with 52,917 properties registered, accounting for 81% of its total. Jammu & Kashmir followed with 25,046 registrations (77%), Punjab with 24,969 (90%), and Gujarat with 24,133 (61%). In stark contrast, West Bengal recorded just 716 registrations out of 80,480 properties (0.89%). According to Indian Express, the state government had delayed implementing the Waqf (Amendment) Act for months before issuing directions last week to upload property details on the portal.

Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest number of Waqf assets across its Shia and Sunni boards, registered only 789 properties (5%) under the Shia Waqf Board and 12,982 (11%) under the Sunni Board. Bihar and UP are the only states with separate boards for the two sects. Maharashtra registered 17,971 out of 36,700 properties (48%).

The UMEED portal, launched by the Centre on 6 June under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, aims to centralise documentation and geo-tag Waqf properties, ensuring better management and transparency. The registration process involved three stages: initial entry by mutawallis (property caretakers), verification by Waqf Board officials, and final approval by Waqf Board CEOs.

According to Indian Express, many Waqf Boards and mutawallis faced practical difficulties, including portal crashes, trouble locating historical documents, and inconsistencies in land measurements across states.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated on Friday that there would be no penalty for three months for those who failed to register, and they could approach Waqf Tribunals in their states, which have the power to grant extensions. Waqf Board officials have confirmed they will seek such extensions. “The tribunals in states where registrations are low will face a flurry of applications seeking extensions for the process,” said a UP Sunni Central Waqf Board official.

Uttar Pradesh holds the most Waqf properties in the country, with 2.4 lakh assets, followed by West Bengal (80,480), Punjab (75,511), Tamil Nadu (66,092), and Karnataka (65,242), according to Indian Express.

(With inputs from Indian Express)