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Section 51: Alienation of waqf property without sanction of Board to be void.

The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995Central Act · Act 43 of 1995

51. Alienation of [waqf] property without sanction of Board to be void.--- [(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the waqf deed, any lease of any immovable property which is waqf property, shall be void unless such lease is effected with the prior sanction of the Board:

Provided that no mosque, dargah, khanqah, graveyard, or imambara shall be leased except any unused graveyards in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh where such graveyard has been leased out before the date of commencement of the Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013 (27 of 2013).

(1A) Any sale, gift, exchange, mortgage or transfer of waqf property shall be void ab initio:

Provided that in case the Board is satisfied that any waqf property may be developed for the purposes of the Act, it may, after recording reasons in writing, take up the development of such property through such agency and in such manner as the Board may determine and move a resolution containing recommendation of development of such waqf property, which shall be passed by a majority of two-thirds of the total membership of the Board:

Provided further that nothing contained in this sub-section shall affect any acquisition of waqf properties for a public purpose under [the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (30 of 2013) or any other law relating to acquisition of land if such acquisition is made in consultation with the Board:

Provided also that---

(a) the acquisition shall not be in contravention of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (42 of 1991);

(b) the purpose for which the land is being acquired shall be undisputedly for a public purpose;

(c) no alternative land is available which shall be considered as more or less suitable for that purpose; and

(d) to safeguard adequately the interest and objective of the waqf, the compensation shall be at the prevailing market value or a suitable land with reasonable solatium in lieu of the acquired property.]

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Where this provision sits

ActThe Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995
Section51
Marginal noteAlienation of waqf property without sanction of Board to be void.
JurisdictionCentral
StatusIn force as published by the source

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

  • substituted, Act 27 of 2013. . Subs. by Act 27 of 2013, s. 4, for "wakf" (w.e.f. 1-11-2013).
  • substituted. . Subs. by s. 29, ibid., for sub-section (1) (w.e.f. 1-11-2013).
  • substituted, Act 14 of 2025. . Subs. by Act 14 of 2025, s. 28, for "the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1 of 1894)"(w.e.f. 08-04-2025).
  • omitted. . The word "Public" omitted by Corrigendum, published in the Gazette of India, Extra PT II, sec. 1, No. 3, dated 1st January, 2014.
  • omitted, Act 27 of 2013. . Sub-sections (2), (3), (4) and (5) omitted by Act 27 of 2013, s. 29 (w.e.f. 01-11-2013).

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