Telangana Will Protect Wakf Properties: Deputy CM

Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali on Wednesday said that the State Government would take all possible measures for the protection and development of the Wakf properties in Telangana.

Speaking to media persons after conducting a surprise check of the State Wakf Board office at Haj House in Nampally, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that of the nearly 77,000 acres of Wakf land in Telangana, about 57,000 acres were under encroachment.

Further, nearly 4,700 cases pertaining to the remaining 20,000 acres of land were pending.

He said that effective measures would be taken to free the Wakf lands from encroachments.

Mahmood Ali informed that the State Government was enacting a new law to prevent encroachments on all government, Wakf and endowment lands. He said that two meetings had already been held in connection with the proposed law. Stern action was being proposed against the land-grabbers, and they could be booked under the P D Act if needed.

The Deputy Chief Minister also informed that an enforcement team would be constituted in the Wakf Board which would be headed by a full-time DCP-rank official. He said that the proposal was already discussed with Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy, and the appointment of the official would be made after getting an approval from the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Mahmood Ali said that the Wakf Board had identified seven prime properties in the city for construction of commercial complexes. The foundation stones for the complexes would be laid soon.

He also said that the District Wakf Committees would be made more active through the induction of experts and honest personalities. Currently, the Wakf affairs in the districts are being managed by Inspector Auditors. The government would not entertain any political influence, and protection of Wakf properties would be given the top priority, he said.

The constitution of a new Wakf Board, the Urdu Academy and other institutions related to the minorities' welfare would be done immediately after the completion of the process of the bifurcation of employees, which was in the last stages, he said.

Speaking about the Shaadi Mubarak scheme, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the State Government had simplified the application procedure, and now only residential and income certificates were required to be submitted. He said that all MROs were being issued directions to ensure that the people did not face any difficulties in procuring the certificates.

He informed that he would be reviewing the status of the implementation of the Shaadi Mubarak scheme in the next 2-3 days. Steps were also being taken to prevent misuse of this scheme, he said.

Wakf Board Special Officer M Jalaluddin Akbar, State Haj Committee Special Officer Prof S A Shukoor and other senior officials were also present during the Deputy Chief Minister's surprise visit, which lasted nearly two hours. (INN)