After months of resisting the amended Waqf law, the West Bengal government has now formally agreed to implement it.
The state’s West Bengal Minority Development Department has directed all district magistrates to upload information on the state's ~82,000 waqf properties onto the central portal (UMEED portal) by December 5, 2025.
The data-entry process is already underway. As part of the rollout, districts are setting up facilitation centers and organizing workshops/training for property managers (mutawallis), imams, and madrasa staff.
Key provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 being enforced
Under the 2025 amendment — which the state is now allowing to function — there are several major changes:
The composition of waqf-boards and tribunals has been revised to allow non-Muslim members in governing bodies and tribunals.
The central administration gains stronger oversight: in cases of dispute or claim over a property being waqf, the government (i.e. authorities) has the final say.
All registered waqf properties must be documented and uploaded on the central online portal for transparency and record-keeping. This is to create a centralized registry of waqf properties across the country.
The political and social backdrop: from rejection to acceptance
Earlier in 2025, the then stance of the state (under Mamata Banerjee) was strong opposition: after protests and unrest (notably in areas like Murshidabad) over the amended law, the state had publicly said the law “will not be implemented in West Bengal.”
The state government even passed a resolution (in its assembly in late 2024) urging for withdrawal of the amendment bill, citing concerns over its impact on waqf administration.
However, after legal and administrative considerations (and possibly pressure from the Centre), the state has now reversed its position — a significant U-turn.
What the immediate steps are (and what it implies)?
Because the state accepted the law:
All waqf-related properties under its jurisdiction must now be declared and registered on the central portal by December 5.
Waqf-board membership and waqf-property adjudication may now include non-Muslims, altering governance structure.
For property managers (mutawallis), religious institutions, madrasas — there will be mandatory compliance, record-keeping, and transparency obligations.
This marks a shift towards centralised oversight of waqf properties, removing former ambiguities around many privately-managed or undocumented waqfs.
