Telangana Wakf Board trains sights on encroachments

Karwan: The Telangana State Wakf Board will hold a joint survey in the Karwan Assembly constituency with the help of Revenue, Archaeology, Endowments and police departments by the month-end.

According to officials, several Wakf properties in the constituency have been encroached by land sharks. For the past few years, several acres of Wakf land attached to dargahs, graveyards, mosques have been occupied by grabbers and private builders. Following the survey, the Wakf Board, along with the Revenue department, will initiate legal action against the encroachers and will also book criminal cases.

On Monday, Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem, along with AIMIM general secretary Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri, Karwan MLA Kausar Mohiuddin, officials of Revenue department, committee members and mutawallies, inspected Wakf properties in the constituency. Later, it was decided to conduct a joint survey on January 27 and 29 along with the concerned departments, which include Revenue, Archaeology, Endowments and Police.

"There are five major notified Wakf properties with hundreds of acres of land. But most of the land is encroached in Karwan, including Dargah HazrathSuhrabuddinAulia at Langer House (with attached property of 2.25 acres), Toli Masjid (27.30 acres) amongst others. In these institutions, a major portion of land has been encroached. Saleem instructed the Wakf and Revenue officials to survey and find out details of encroachments," informed officials.

"During the inspection, Wakf Board observed that a major portion of the attached land of the Wakf institutions has been encroached by land grabbers and developers. Most of the land is under encroachment. After the detailed report by officers, the Wakf Board will take legal action against encroachers and will also book criminal cases against them. The Wakf properties which were illegally registered will be cancelled," Saleem said. Further, he said that he instructed officials to prepare a detailed report on encroachment and to evict land grabbers. He assured that illegal encroachers will be removed and Wakf land taken back. He noted that the government has issued GO15 and banned registration of Wakf properties. The Wakf Board is sending records to the Revenue department to get them incorporated. "The work of reconciliation of Wakf records and cancellation of registration of Waqf properties is progressing. More than 100 illegal registrations were cancelled till now," he noted.