Kerala government likely to reconstitute State Waqf Board

The Kerala government is preparing to dissolve the State Waqf Board, with an official notification likely to be issued soon, sources said.

The move follows an assessment that several members of the existing board may not meet the eligibility criteria prescribed under the rules. The government is also expected to nominate two non-Muslim members in accordance with the amended Waqf law, taking into account the Supreme Court’s verdict on the matter.

The board was constituted on February 4 with nine members, while K S Hamza was appointed chairman in March. Although the board has a five-year tenure, the government is now considering dissolving it with nearly four-and-a-half years remaining.

The state government had earlier informed the Kerala High Court that the Waqf Board needed to be reconstituted. It had said the mandatory representation process had not been completed before the previous reconstitution and that it was prepared to reorganise the board after completing the required procedure.

Under the amended Waqf law, the board is to have 11 members, including two non-Muslim representatives. Some members of the existing board were appointed under categories including mutawalli and religious scholar and are nominees of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

The government’s proposed move would pave the way for reconstitution of the board in accordance with the amended provisions.