Minister Denies Encroaching On Wakf Lands In Hyderabad

Minorities Welfare Minister, Syed Mohammad Ahmadullah, on Wednesday offered to quit politics if any of his relatives or associates were found involved in the encroachment of Wakf properties anywhere in the State.

Reacting to reports in a section of media, Ahmadullah told reporters at Haj House on Monday that he has ordered an independent enquiry into the allegations. A 14-member team of the State Wakf Board would leave Kadapa, on Wednesday night, on a three-day tour to enquire into the allegations, and also to check the status of Wakf properties in the district.

The minster said that he has directed the Wakf Board chairman, Syed Ghulam Sarvar Afzal Biyabani, to conduct a fair enquiry into the allegations. He said if any of his family members, relatives or close associates were found encroaching upon the Wakf lands, he would immediately quit politics. He said he has also directed the Kadapa District Collector to fully cooperate with the Wakf Board team.

Ahmadullah also ordered the suspension of Wakf Board's Standing Council, Habeeb-ur-Rahman, for not representing the cases properly in the court. Further, he directed the Wakf Board chairman to suspend other officials who fail to represent the cases in different courts in a proper manner.

Reacting to reports of a file relating to a prime Wakf property at Khairtabad missing from the Wakf Board, the Chairman admitted that the file for 584 square yards of land went missing in 2001. He said that the Board prepared a supplementary file for the property and the same has been approved by the state government. He said that a private channel had been using the land for parking, and that the property had been barricaded about two years ago.

Afzal Biyabani stated that five prime Wakf properties in the city would be developed as commercial complexes. However, he refused to name those properties at this stage. He further proclaimed that about 6,000 encroached properties have been identified, to which notices of eviction have been sent. He declared that some of those properties were sold illegally by brokers; and that in most of the cases, the present occupants have agreed to become tenants of the Wakf Board. He also stated that the board has realised about Rs. 3 crores in terms of rent from the Wakf premises where government offices are located.

Referring to the old Task Force office building at Begumpet, the chairman said that although the Wakf Board possesses the land, a case filed by a certain Fatima Begum in 1997 has been going in the court, and therefore, the board was unable to do anything about the same. He also informed that six leading lawyers of the country have been hired to argue the case of Manikonda Jagir in the Supreme Court.

The Wakf Board has also ordered an enquiry into the encroachment of nearly 1200 acres of land belonging to Faqir Malla at Ballapur in Saroornagar mandal. He said that the enquiry report will be ready within one month. (INN)