Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Aug 20: The Government of India has empowered Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Union Territory to exercise the powers and functions of the State government under the Central Waqf Act within that territory.
The Union Home Ministry last evening issued a notification to vest powers and functions discharged by the state government to LG of Ladakh UT within that territory. “In pursuance of clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that the powers and functions of the State government under the Waqf Act, 1995 (43 of 1995) shall, subject to the control of the President and until further orders, be exercised by the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of Ladakh within that Union territory, “reads the notification a copy which is with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)
The notification was issued 10 months after erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was re-organised into two UTs. The Central Waqf Act became applicable to J&K and Ladakh UTs from October 31 as two state laws governing management of Wakf properties were abolished by the Parliament in August last year .
The Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Act-2001 and The Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Specified Wakfs and Specified Wakaf Properties (Management and Regulation) Act 2004 were the laws governing management of Muslim Shrines and properties in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Waqf Board and Waqf Council constituted under these laws ceased to exist with abolition of these laws from October 31, 2019 when J&K Re-Organisation Act came into effect. (KNO)
GoI empowers Ladakh LG to exercise powers of State Govt under Waqf Act
