West Bengal Waqf Property Registrations on UMEED Portal Increase by 35,000 in One Year

Validated Waqf property entries in West Bengal on the UMEED portal have reached 1,15,551, marking an increase of about 35,000 properties in a single year, according to information provided to Parliament by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

What Happened

In response to a parliamentary query from West Bengal State President Samik Bhattacharya, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated that as of July 15, 2026, the Board of Auqaf, West Bengal had initiated 1,33,417 Waqf properties for upload on the UMEED Central Portal–2025. Out of these, 1,15,551 properties were validated and approved, while 12,720 were rejected during the verification process, completing compliance within the extended statutory timeline.

This reflects a significant rise from February 2025, when 80,548 registered properties were reported. A source in the State Waqf Board indicated to The Hindu that while central portal onboarding began following UMEED’s launch in June 2025, many of these properties had remained unregistered during the 15 years prior, since the board’s last formal survey.

Key Highlights

• Total approved Waqf properties in West Bengal on the UMEED portal stood at 1,15,551 as of July 15, 2026.
• Property entries increased by approximately 35,000 from the 80,548 recorded in February 2025.
• The West Bengal Board of Auqaf submitted 1,33,417 property entries in total, with 12,720 rejected upon verification.
• The UMEED portal was established by the Central government in June 2025 following the passage and enactment of the Waqf Amendment Bill.
• The state government issued public notices confirming that registering on the UMEED portal does not lead to property transfer or alienation.

Why This Matters

The administrative registration drive follows intense political debate and legal proceedings in West Bengal surrounding federal Waqf legislation. The West Bengal State Assembly passed a resolution opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill in December 2024. Although Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly opposed the bill and announced that the State Waqf Board filed a Writ petition in the Supreme Court, her administration simultaneously directed citizens to complete property details on the UMEED portal, countering criticisms by clarifying that portal registration will not result in property alienation.

What to Watch Next

Proceedings regarding the Writ petition filed by the State Waqf Board in the Supreme Court remain under observation alongside ongoing compliance processes under the statutory Framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Waqf properties are currently validated in West Bengal on the UMEED portal?

As of July 15, 2026, the Union Minority Affairs Ministry confirmed that 1,15,551 Waqf properties in West Bengal have been validated and approved on the UMEED portal.

When was the UMEED portal introduced?

The Central government launched the UMEED portal in June 2025 to enable central registration after the Waqf Amendment Bill was enacted into law.

Does registering on the UMEED portal transfer Waqf property ownership?

No. Public advertisements issued by the West Bengal state government clarified that registering details on the UMEED portal does not result in the transfer or alienation of Waqf properties.

Source: Statement by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha and reporting by The Hindu.