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1.12 lakh acres donated to Waqf Board, but it currently controls only 20,054 acres: Zameer

March 16, 2026 4 min read Polity & Governance Social Issues GS2
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What Happened

  • Karnataka's Housing, Waqf and Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan disclosed before the state legislature that while 1.12 lakh acres of land have been donated to the Karnataka Waqf Board over the years, the board currently controls only 20,054 acres.
  • Of the remaining land: approximately 23,627 acres were lost following implementation of land reform legislation; 47,263 acres were absorbed under Inam Abolition laws; and 17,580 acres have been encroached upon by private parties.
  • The minister confirmed that Hindu temples have not encroached upon any Waqf Board properties, directly countering BJP claims.
  • He reiterated that the Waqf Board would not target properties belonging to temples or educational institutions — its focus is on recovering encroached Waqf land from private parties.
  • The disclosure comes in the context of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 (passed in Parliament in 2025 after being introduced as Waqf Amendment Bill 2024), which introduced significant changes to the governance of Waqf properties nationally.

Static Topic Bridges

Waqf is an Islamic legal concept referring to a permanent religious endowment — property dedicated for religious or charitable purposes in perpetuity. Once a property is declared Waqf, it cannot be alienated, sold, transferred, or mortgaged.

  • Waqf Act 1995: The principal legislation governing Waqf properties in India. It established the Central Waqf Council (CWC) and State Waqf Boards, defined the powers of the mutawalli (manager), and created Waqf Tribunals for dispute resolution.
  • Central Waqf Council: Statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Minority Affairs; advises Parliament and state legislatures on Waqf matters.
  • State Waqf Boards: Statutory bodies in each state to manage and supervise Waqf properties. The Karnataka State Waqf Board is among the largest.
  • Waqf by user: A provision in the original Act allowing property to be declared Waqf through long-standing public religious use, even without a formal endowment deed — a major source of property disputes.
  • As per WAMSI portal data: 8.72 lakh Waqf properties cover over 38 lakh acres across India.

Connection to this news: The Karnataka figures illustrate a recurring challenge in Waqf administration — the gap between historically donated land and what is actually recoverable under current legal frameworks.

Waqf Amendment Act 2025 (Introduced as Waqf Amendment Bill 2024)

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed by Parliament in 2025 after extensive debate and a Joint Parliamentary Committee review. It introduced over 40 amendments to the Waqf Act 1995.

  • The amended Act was renamed: United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act 1995 (UWMEED Act 1995).
  • Key change: Removal of "Waqf by user" — properties can no longer be declared Waqf purely based on historical use; a formal endowment deed is now required.
  • Mandatory inclusion of non-Muslim members (including women) on State Waqf Boards.
  • Enhanced powers to District Collectors to adjudicate disputes over government land claimed as Waqf.
  • Audit and transparency requirements strengthened; mutawalli accountability increased.
  • Critics argued the amendments diluted the autonomy of Waqf Boards; supporters said they introduced necessary accountability.

Connection to this news: The 2025 Amendment's removal of Waqf by user and enhanced revenue authority oversight directly affects the kind of land that Karnataka's Waqf Board can now legitimately claim or recover.

Land Reform Legislation and Its Effect on Waqf Properties

The significant loss of Waqf land in Karnataka — 23,627 acres under Land Reforms and 47,263 acres under Inam Abolition — reflects how post-Independence land reform legislation treated Waqf endowments.

  • Inam Abolition Acts (1954–1960s): Post-Independence legislation in Karnataka (and other states) abolished the "inam" system — grant of land revenue rights — vesting such lands in the state. Waqf lands held as inams were brought under these acts.
  • Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961 (amended 1974): Imposed land ceilings and allowed redistribution of surplus land. Waqf properties above prescribed limits were subject to acquisition.
  • Religious and charitable endowments receive partial exemptions in some states, but these exemptions were not uniformly applied to Waqf properties in Karnataka's reform era.

Connection to this news: The minister's disclosure that nearly 70,000 acres were absorbed through legal state action (land reforms + inam abolition) rather than encroachment helps distinguish between legally contested land losses and illegal encroachments.

Key Facts & Data

  • Total land donated to Karnataka Waqf Board (historical): 1,12,000 acres (1.12 lakh acres).
  • Land currently under Waqf Board control: 20,054 acres.
  • Land lost to Inam Abolition laws: 47,263 acres.
  • Land lost to Land Reforms Act: 23,627 acres.
  • Encroached land (private parties): 17,580 acres.
  • National Waqf land: 8.72 lakh properties, 38+ lakh acres (WAMSI portal data).
  • Waqf Act 1995: Established Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards.
  • Waqf Amendment Act 2025: Renamed the Act; removed Waqf by user; added non-Muslim representation on boards.
  • Karnataka 2012 land scam: Approximately half of 54,000 acres were found to have been misused.