Parliament Winter Session: All eyes on Waqf Bill as govt determined to pass it in session starting next week

The BJP-led Union government is all set to introduce five new Bills in the upcoming Winter Session of the Parliament, which will commence on November 25 and is likely to conclude on December 20.  

Five bills have been listed for introduction, consideration and passage, while 10 are for consideration and passage, according to the bulletin of the Lok Sabha. 

Among the bills to be introduced, the most important legislation will be the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Bill, introduced during the Monsoon session of Parliament, aims to curtail the powers of the Waqf board among other measures. Its introduction led to a ruckus in the house and the Bill was then sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for wider scrutiny. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to pass the Waqf bill in the upcoming winter session of parliament.

The Bill has sparked debate with opposition parties and minority organisations alleging that it seeks to centralise control over Waqf properties, undermining state rights and community autonomy.

Opposition members on November 21 demanded extension of the tenure of the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, contending that they need more time to study the changes to the draft legislation. 

At a meeting of the committee, Chairman and BJP member Jagdambika Pal announced that today’s meeting would be the last sitting of the panel and a draft report would be circulated to the members shortly. The committee has held 27 meetings so far and is eager to submit its report to Parliament in the winter session. The Waqf committee is required to submit its report on or before November 29. 

The other bills for consideration and passage in the upcoming session include the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, the Railways (Amendment) Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill. 

The Merchant Shipping Bill aims to ensure compliance with maritime treaties to which India is a party and ensure development of Indian shipping and efficient maintenance of Indian mercantile marine to serve national interest. The Coastal Shipping Bill, seeks to promote coasting trade and encourage participation of Indian flag vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for national security and commercial needs. The Indian Ports Bill seeks to provide for measures to secure conservation of Ports, security and pollution control at the Ports in line with the India’s International Obligations and statutory compliance. 

Besides, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also expected to present the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants (SDG) 2024-25 in the session. 

There will be no sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on November 26 to commemorate the “Constitution Day”.

As many as eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill are pending in Lok Sabha. Two others are with Rajya Sabha.