AP govt will protect wakf lands and punish encroachers: Palle

Andhra Pradesh Government will not hesitate to hoist criminal cases against encroachers of wakf land belonging to minorities in all the districts of the state.

Disclosing this to reporters at media point at Secretariat, the state Information and Public Relations Minister Dr Palle Raghunath Reddy said government had accepted the recommendations of the 10 member committee set up in October 2014 to identify the wakf properties in each district and its status.

He said to display Government commitment and transparency in protecting wakf lands, the government had issued a GO.No.10 on October 13, 2014 itself and aimed to utilise and develop the wakf properties for the welfare of the minorities. “There were nearly 67,000 acres of wakf lands in the united AP of which almost 50% are allegedly encroached,” the minister said.

He said the residual AP government has succeeded in resuming about 3000-4000 acres. “We will involve even the Mutawalis and other Muslim clergy and ensure that every cent of lands of the Minorities (wakf) properties are protected and taken back from encroachers and used for the welfare of the minority community,” he said.