New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju launched the UMEED Central Portal on Friday, a centralised digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties.

Speaking on the occasion, Rijiju asserted that the portal will bring transparency in managing the Waqf properties.

'The UMEED Portal will add a new chapter in the history of Waqf property management and administration in India. It will not only bring transparency but will also help the common Muslims, particularly women and children,' Kiren Rijiju said.

The portal, developed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, was officially inaugurated by George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, at New Delhi.

Calling it a historic step, Rijiju emphasised that the UMEED Central Portal is more than just a technological upgrade.

'It is a symbol of the government's firm commitment to safeguarding the rights of minority communities and ensuring that community-owned Waqf assets are utilised effectively and fairly, for the poor Muslims, for whom it was originally meant,' he added.

According to a release, the UMEED Central Portal, short for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, will serve as a centralised digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties.

The portal is expected to introduce greater transparency, accountability, and public participation, thereby transforming the way Waqf assets are administered across India.

The release stated the key features of the portal, including creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties, online grievance redressal system for better responsiveness, transparent leasing and usage tracking, integration with GIS mapping and other e-Governance tools and Public access to verified records and reports.

Addressing the gathering, George Kurian said the Portal is a long-awaited reform that will curb misuse and bring Waqf administration closer to the people.

He added, 'The system ensures that every property is accounted for and used in accordance with the purpose it was endowed for.'

The Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar said that he expected the UMEED Portal to become the backbone of digital Waqf governance, thereby ensuring that the Waqf assets contribute meaningfully to education, healthcare, livelihood generation and social welfare, especially for underprivileged sections within the Muslim community. (ANI)