Wakf Land Issues: MLCs Demand JLC

Muslim MLCs, cutting across their political affiliations, demanded on Monday that the state government discuss the issues of the sale and encroachment of Wakf land during the ruling period of the TDP as well as the Congress.

The MLCs demanded that a House Committee be appointed to probe the said issues.

The members - Shaik Hussain, Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed, Md. Jani (all from the Congress) and Ibrahim Bin Abdullah Masquati (TDP) - in their adjournments, wanted Legislative Council Chairman A Chakrapani to help them protect the Wakf land which is worth crores of rupees. Dr. Chakrapani, however, disallowed their adjournment motions.

Shaik Hussain pointed out that 1.60 lakh acres of Wakf land was donated by the then Nawabs and Muslim philanthropists for construction of Masjids and Madrasas, with a sole intention for the welfare of minorities. But a major chunk of the Wakf lands was either encroached upon or sold to various persons by the then TDP government from 1995 to 2004.

Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed said that the Wakf land, in entire AP in general, and the Hyderabad and RR districts in particular, were either encroached upon, or sold by the government.

He recalled that the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, had ordered the state governments to either pay the amount of the value of the Wakf land taken by the government to the Wakf Board, or to return any encroached land to the board.

"Fortunately, the Congress is in power both in the Centre and the state, so necessary actions can be taken with respect to the land issue," Shabbir Ahmed added.

Md. Jani said that around 40,000 acres of Wakf land was sold to firms and individuals in the state since 1994.

Masquati alleged that both the TDP and Congress have utterly failed to protect the land belonging to the Wakf, and demanded that the government either constitute a Joint Legislature Committe or a House Committee to probe the Wakf land issues.

Courtesy: INN