New Delhi: While interacting with Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani, representatives of state waqf boards sought regular surveys of their properties and additional central funds while drawing her attention to encroachments.
In a three-hour meeting, Irani heard the concerns of state waqf boards in management of their resources. The minister later tweeted about her meeting with the representatives of state waqf boards.
Engaged in discussion with Chairpersons/CEOs of Waqf Boards from across the country today.
Discussed issues and grievances surrounding the management of the Board and deliberated upon actionable solutions for proper management of Waqf resources in the country. pic.twitter.com/Yp3IZdMbvE
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) July 20, 2023
One of the major issues discussed at the meeting was encroachment of waqf properties across the country.
“Encroachment on waqf properties is a major issue all across the country. In several cases, the dispute over the land is with government agencies. We requested the minister to provide additional funds to hire good lawyers to present our cases. In Karnataka, there is 1.2 lakh acre of waqf property of which 80,000 acre is encroached and in some cases, it is by government agencies,” Karnataka State Waqf Board chairman Maulana N.K.M Shafi Saadi said.
“We have also requested for special funds from the central government to protect our vacant land parcels by constructing schools, hospitals etc.”
Saadi said that there are Waqf properties in Karnataka which are under litigation for nearly five decades. “For the past many decades, we have been fighting legal battles to free our properties of encroachment. There are many such cases across the country.”
A large number of state waqf boards, including in Delhi, are caught embroiled in legal dispute with private parties as well as state and central governments.
In Delhi, there is a longstanding dispute between the Waqf Board and the central government over 123 waqf properties. The UPA government had denotified these properties and transferred ownership to the Delhi Waqf Board in 2014.
But the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court in 2014. After an HC order, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs set up a two member committee to hear all stakeholders.
Earlier this year, the land and development office under the ministry said in a letter that the board is absolved of all matters pertaining to these 123 properties as no representation was received from the board by the Justice (retired) S. P. Garg committee on the issue of denotified Waqf properties. As a row broke out between the Centre and Delhi Waqf Board, the matter is now subjudice.
Several waqf board chairpersons suggested the need for regular survey of properties as it had not been done for years.
“As per the Act, there should be a survey of waqf properties every 10 years. But this does happen. In most states, the survey has not happened. In Madhya Pradesh, the survey was done in 1989,” Madhya Pradesh State Waqf Board chairman Sanwar Patel said.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing the Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme through the Central Waqf Council under which digitized records of waqf properties is being done on the Waqf Assets Management System of India (WAMSI) portal.
As per the information provided in the Lok Sabha in February, a total of 8,65,646 Waqf immovable properties and 3,53,850 GIS mapping of Waqf properties were entered on the portal till December 2022.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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