Hyderabad: Wakf property data from Nizam's era under wraps

Hyderabad: Even as Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in the Assembly reassured of protecting Wakf lands, the 'record room' pertaining to the Wakf lands (like Gazette copies) remained inaccessible to even officials of the department as it remained sealed for almost three years.

Strongly guarded by the security and with provision of access to only Revenue officials, the record room known to contain thousands of documents (most of which from Nizam's era) which could back the claims of the Wakf Board was sealed in November 2017.

"If the Chief Minister was serious enough to stand by his word of protecting Wakf properties, he should first ensure that record room's seal is removed, and department's officials be given access so that the evidence could be produced in courts. We welcome the Chief Minister's promise of protecting the Wakf lands. At least this time we hope he keeps his word and walk the talk, unlike his empty promises like provision of judicial power to the board made during elections," emphasised, All India Sunni Ulama Board president Syed Hamed Hussain Shuttari.

While referring to the report of the House Committee, 1995, in which Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi was also a member, it is held that the committee had mentioned 1,33,209 acres of Wakf land within Telangana. But after formation of Telangana, the government was claiming that it was 77,000 acres of land of which only 41,538 acres is recorded till the new revelation was made by Chief Minister that 57,000 acres from 77,000 was encroached upon, making everyone perplexed. "More than 1 lakh acres of land has vanished from the records during the past three decades and who is responsible this. We hope that at least Welfare Minister Koppula Eshwar who took some initiatives in the recent months would rescue the properties from encroachment. If the promise of claiming encroached land is to be fulfilled the government must immediately issue a GO in this endeavour," said Association of Save Waqf Properties general secretary Syed Ifteqar Hussaini

It may be mentioned here that in 2019, the Central Wakf Council (CWC) also expressed concerns during their meeting with State's Wakf Board. They demanded that the government immediately 'unseal' the record room and sought details on extent of State's Wakf properties, as they found huge variation (77,000 acres prior to bifurcation and the beginning of 2nd term of TRS government).