"Officials Not Serious About Wakf Land"

Minorities Welfare Commissioner and Wakf Board Special Officer Shaik Mohammad Iqbal alleged that officials of the state government were not serious about the protection of Wakf properties in the state.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Iqbal said that the state government had issued three separate GOs involving the Revenue department and other departments, to protect Wakf properties, but that the GOs were not implemented in any of the districts in the state.

While the first GO M/s No. 59 was issued on 22.04.1997, another GO M/s No. 374 was issued on June 25, 2002, forming district-level task force committees. He said that the District Collector was made the chairman of the task force, while the SP concerned was made its member. "Although the task force in all districts was supposed to conduct monthly meetings, no such meeting was convened so far," he complained.

Similarly, GO M/s No. 6 was issued on March 12, nominating District Revenue Officers as District Wakf Officers to protect the properties. "Despite receiving an honorium of Rs. 250 per month, the DROs took no steps to protect properties," he said.

He added that the local authorities could register non-bailable offences against the encroachers under Section 52 (A) of Wakf Act, 1952.

Iqbal said that he directed all the DROs and other officials to take immediate measures to implement the GOs issued earlier. He asked the officials not to be lenient with the encroachers due to their political affiliations, and to register cases wherever necessary. (INN)