MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is expected to initiate action against encroachments on Waqf land and the people/institutions involved in it once the amendment to the Waqf Act is notified.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that his government had decided to take action against the encroachments and the people involved. “In a huge scam, Congress leaders have grabbed Waqf land,” he said. “The new law in the offing will help us bring in transparency and, in turn, transform the lives of poor Muslims. The existing law has no provision of appeal if someone grabs Waqf land, but the amendment has afforded us this facility.”
As the controversy over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, continues to rage, figures put out by the Maharashtra State Board of Waqf (MSBW) reveal that around half the Waqf land in the state is encroached—a total of 23,566 properties on 92,247 acres. The extent of encroachment is 60% in Marathwada, where the number of Waqf properties is the highest—15,877 properties on 57,133 acres.
After a few cases of Waqf land grab by individuals, politicians, and their institutions came to light 18 years ago, the state government appointed the ATAK Shaikh Commission in 2007 to conduct an inquiry into the management of these land parcels. The commission, in its report submitted in 2015, named some leaders from the Congress and the NCP in the misappropriation.
The Commission also recommended action against the people involved and the restoration of the land to the Waqf board, but no action was taken. In May 2015, during the tenure of the BJP-Shiv Sena government, the then revenue minister Eknath Khadse announced that a special law would be brought in to restore land that was encroached or sold illegally, but no bill was tabled by the government.
According to the MSBW data, the district collectorates have not moved in 483 cases where orders have been issued for the removal of encroachments under Section 55 of the Waqf Act. The board and tribunal have also issued 21 orders for the restoration of properties over the years, but no action has been taken.
According to officials from the minority department, the state government has already started the process of mapping Waqf land through GIS, and bids have been called for the ₹8-crore tender. The department is chalking out a plan to remove encroachments and restore the illegally occupied land. “We will have clarity on the actual quantum of land, its ownership, and the status of the litigation related to it once the mapping is done,” said an officer. “The new amendment has given more powers to the government under which action will be possible.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde said that his party had demanded a white paper on the land parcels, their management, and encroachments. “Tracts of land worth lakhs of crores are neither being used for the welfare of the community nor are they yielding any revenue to the government,” he said. “Most of the land parcels are either allotted, grabbed, or usurped, and the citizens need to know their status. The action will be possible once the white paper is issued.”
Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said, “Instead of maligning opposition parties and their leaders, Fadnavis should first give all the details about the Waqf properties. He should also tell the people of Maharashtra what action he took when he was the CM between 2014 and 2019. He should also reveal the names of the BJP leaders who were involved in grabbing Waqf land and the leaders who joined the BJP after grabbing such land.”
