Bhopal, May 25 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday said that the new Waqf laws have enabled the protection of numerous Waqf properties in Madhya Pradesh and helped curb encroachments, while also opening avenues to enhance the Board’s revenue.

He was speaking at the scholarship distribution ceremony organised by the Madhya Pradesh State Waqf Board at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal, where 849 meritorious students from the minority community were awarded financial assistance.

“The new Waqf laws have enabled the protection of numerous Waqf properties. Significant success has been achieved in curbing encroachments across Madhya Pradesh. Furthermore, the Board is now presented with opportunities to enhance its revenue,” Chief Minister Yadav said.

The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah encouraged exemplary work through the implementation of the new laws. He added that while the revenue of state Waqf Boards is increasing, there is also a profound sense of fulfilment in working with integrity and honesty.

Highlighting Madhya Pradesh’s role, CM Yadav said the state Waqf Board has emerged as a national model after digitising all its properties through the ‘Umeed’ portal.

“In the state, Waqf properties were digitised through the Waqf Board — an achievement for which it received the Skoch Award from the Centre. This transparent system has become a model for the entire nation,” he said.

Referring to India’s cultural harmony, Yadav said the country places its faith in mutual harmony exemplified by figures such as Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (Rahim) and Sayyed Ibrahim (Raskhan). He also recalled the bravery of Abdul Hamid during the India-Pakistan war.

Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh State Waqf Board (MP-SWB) Sanwar Patel, on the occasion, said digitisation had curbed the influence of the “Waqf mafia” and improved transparency. He added that the Board’s revenue has increased and dropout rates among girls have declined due to education initiatives under ‘Auqaf-e-Amma’.

–IANS

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