High Court’s recent rebuke over the functioning of Wakf Board has stirred a new debate in the old city over the way the burial grounds is being encroached and the alleged maladministration of the officials on the board.
Taking umbrage at officials’ apathy in safeguarding the land of the Muslim burial grounds in the old city, the high court asked the chairmen to be present at the court on the next hearing to answer the inaction.
While dealing with two PILs pertaining to encroachments on graveyards and inaction of the Wakf Board over Mutavallis allowing encroachments on Wakf lands, the bench comprising of Chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy express their dissatisfaction over the way the board is functioning and suspect a nexus between the Wakf Board and the encroachers.
It is an incontrovertible fact that over the years several colonies and habitations, more importantly, some mentions and villas in and around the city, probably in other parts of the state, has come up over graveyards that assigned with the Wakf board and can be seen visibly with naked eyes by visiting the areas.
Burial grounds, especially in densely populated areas of the old city have witnessed the large scale of encroachments and these lands were swallowed up without keeping any space for ethics and morality.
As the famous couplet of Allama Iqbal says:
“Jin ko aata nahin dunya main koi fan tum ho
Nahin jis qoum ko parwa-e-nasheman tum ho
Bijliyaa jis main hoo asooda wo khirman tum ho
Beech khate hain jo aslaaf ke madfan tum ho
Hone ko naam jo khabroon ki tijarat karke
Kya na bechoge jo miljain sanam pathar ke”
“Wakf properties meant for charitable purpose and welfare of the community with no intention of reclaiming the assets. However, it is the utter failure of the board in safeguarding the Wakf properties in the state. Officials, being appointed to protect the Wakf properties, are actually the perpetrators who have in many cases have paved the way for encroachments. Some have even gone a step further in executing void ab initio agreements in favor of land sharks,” blame Syed Nizamuddin, Spokesperson Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC).
Demanding a CBI inquiry into the large extend of irregularities in Wakf board, he said, “There is no room for an honest officer in the board as officials together with employees having hand in glow with the encroachers and are playing a major role in plundering the wealth earmarked for the welfare of Muslims. Only the CBI inquiry can open Pandora’s Box and unravels the faces hiding behind the scene and causing unprecedented damage to the very objectives of the Wakf Board in protecting the properties.”
The only honest officer the Wakf Board ever had, he added, is S.M.Iqbal, who with his woven competence had put the derailed board onto the track. With stricter monitoring ability he nibs the bud of wayward officials thereby forced the encroachers and land sharks to sweep under the carpet for some time. “His way of functioning may not go well with other officials, employees, and staff of the board beside land sharks who had started lobbying for his transferred to some other department,” he explained.
“Supporting the demand of CBI inquiry into the irregularities in Wakf Board, another senior Congress leader and President Deccan Wakf Protection Society Osman Bin Mohammed Alhajri said, “It is the duty of the government to take appropriate measures against encroachment on Wakf lands and properties which are meant for the welfare of Muslim Community.”
A governing body, he said, should be formed with executive powers to deal with issues like encroachments and irregularities in the board. “Without this, there is no scope of safeguarding the lands and properties of Walk Board from the land sharks who are still enjoying the nexus with the officials and employees and are luring at prime properties located at several parts of the state,” he asserted.
Terming the HC’s rebuke to Wakf board as an up straight warning for all officials in the board, Moulana Syed Tariq Quadri, President All India Majlis Inquilaab-e-Millat (AIMIM) said “Finally, the High Court questions TSWB for failing to protect Waqf properties in the state. It’s a sad commentary on the tall promises of the chief minister made to citizens that Waqf Board with the formation of Telangana State will be given sufficient powers & personal unlike Andhra Government to protect and promote its properties.”
“Maladministration, mismanagement and government’s apathy together with hand in glove tendency with land grabbers had brought the Board in such a sorry state that led the TSWB’s council in the court to reveal that they are starved with staff and funds to supervise Waqf properties,” added Moulana Syed Tariq Quadri.
At least now, he said, the government should come up with an efficacious plan to protect the Wakf properties from encroachments by having review meetings, posting full-time CEO’s rather than additional charge officials besides permitting Board to appoint necessary staff to discharge its obligations.”
