JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal Heads to Karnataka: Waqf Board Notices Stir Farmer Concerns

New Delhi: Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Bill, will be in Karnataka on Thursday, looking into the concerns of farmers, who have received notices from the Waqf Board. Pal expressed anguish at the scale of the issue: "The Karnataka government is issuing notices to many. I will personally speak to them and get the full facts.".

In a statement released today, Pal said, "I will see how the Karnataka government can issue notices on such a large scale to farmers." He underlined his commitment to redressing the grievances of farmers and to examining the legal and procedural aspects of the notices.

It comes at a time when Karnataka's farming community feels ever-growing tension because of the uncertainty over the land rights and potential encroachment, which is supposedly related to the jurisdiction of the Waqf Board. Reports indicate that these notices were regarding clarifying land use and ownership. Thus, a lot of property owners feel uncertain about the future of their properties.

Pal plans to meet different farmer groups over the notices. "I will have meetings with farmers to listen to their concerns directly," he said, reiterating his intention to review the issue in a transparent manner. The outcome of these discussions could influence the parliamentary committee's stance on provisions within the Waqf Bill, particularly those that affect agricultural lands and rural landowners.

The Karnataka government, however, has made no official announcement regarding the visits of Pal and recent notice. The state officers still have to respond in short order, as meetings with Pal and inquiries from citizens continue unabated.

The visit of Pal and the discussions that follow will likely bring clarity to complex issues of land rights, religious endowments, and government oversight in the Waqf Board framework. It has raised more general issues of land security among farmers and stakeholders across Karnataka, which have important intersections with governance, religion, and agriculture.

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