India, April 4 -- MEERUT The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament paved way for a potential clampdown on those allegedly collecting rent from dilapidated Waqf Board properties without legal entitlement. The district administration and police have initiated surveillance on numerous controversial waqf properties.

The Waqf Board owns 2,742 properties in areas like Jali Kothi, Nadir Ali Kothi, Atanas Kothi, Loha Market and Patel Nagar, across the district. Thousands of tenants currently occupy these properties and pay rent, though many of these assets have not been legally classified in revenue records. The absence of proper documentation has long raised concerns about unlawful rent collection and encroachments.

The legisl...