Every Mosque, Dargah and Madarasa to submit information on income and properties in Uttarakhand

A welcome step which should be taken in all the States of India

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) – In Uttarakhand, the State Information Commission has included the Waqf Board under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act). With this, Mosques, Dargahs and Madrasas will now have to provide all information about their income and properties. Around 2,200 Waqf properties are registered with the Uttarakhand Waqf Board.

There has been a consistent lack of transparency in the system. As a result, the management of Waqf properties has avoided appointing Public Information Officers. Following the recent directive, this practice will no longer be continued.

Advocate Danish Siddiqui had sought information on Piran Kaliyar Dargah in July 2022. In response, he was informed that there was no designated Public Information authority in Piran Kaliyar, thus preventing the release of information. As the situation persisted beyond the initial Departmental Appellate Officer level, the case was escalated to the Information Commission.

The State Information Commissioner Yogesh Bhatt sought an explanation from the officials of the Waqf Board, emphasising the need for clarification on aspects such as the Waqf Act and the extent of control over Waqf properties. He also solicited responses from Chief Executive Officers in the case. Subsequently, directives were issued to bring the administration of the Piran Kaliyar Dargah within the ambit of the RTI Act. As a result, a Public Information Officer has been assigned this role.

Editorial Perspective

The patriots of this country expect the Union Government to pass a similar law in a manner that all States of India come under the Right to Information Act, so that they submit information about the income of Mosques, Dargahs and Madarasas.