Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) Ahead of the roll out of rules for the Waqf portal, Union Minority Affairs Secretary Chandra Shekhar Kumar held a review meeting with Maharashtra officials for smooth uploading of details related to properties on UMEED, an official said on Sunday.

Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED) Central Portal, launched on June 6, needs the rules to support the statutory requirements.

During the meeting on Saturday, the Secretary encouraged proactive participation and invited suggestions from state authorities to streamline the implementation process.

As per the mandate of the UMEED Portal, details of all registered Waqf properties across India are to be mandatorily uploaded within six months.

Those present in the meeting, chaired by the Union Secretary, included the state secretary, senior officials, and the CEO of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board. This was the Union Secretary’s second such visit following a similar review in Bihar last week.

Secretary Chandra Shekhar Kumar encouraged proactive participation and invited suggestions from state authorities to streamline the implementation process, said an official statement.

The CEO of the Waqf Board requested the Centre to revisit and ease certain leasing provisions related to Waqf properties. The Union Secretary assured that the request will be examined sympathetically, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to empowering Waqf Boards and enhancing Waqf property management.

Apart from reviewing UMEED implementation, the Secretary also assessed the status of projects under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) in Maharashtra.

He directed the state officials to submit all pending proposals to the Ministry within one week for necessary action.

Kumar also held a meeting with officials of the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) in Mumbai, congratulating them on the smooth and successful conduct of Haj 2025.

He expressed satisfaction that this year recorded the lowest number of deaths and health-related incidents among Indian Haj pilgrims.

He attributed this achievement to improved coordination between the Ministry, the Haj Committee of India, deputationists, Saudi Arabian authorities, and local support systems.

The Secretary specially acknowledged the effectiveness of the Haj Suvidha App, which played a crucial role in enhancing the pilgrim experience and easing on-ground challenges.

He said that insights from this year’s Haj operations will be used to further improve arrangements for Haj 2026.

–IANS

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