SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: AIMIM floor leader in the state Assembly, Akbar Uddin Owaisi, has met the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, with a detailed representation seeking measures to protect Waqf properties in Telangana, recover encroached land, and settle compensation and other dues owed to Waqf institutions.
Meeting Reddy this Wednesday, September 16, Owaisi sought a government order fixing responsibility on departments and setting deadlines for implementing measures to protect Waqf properties through the prohibited-property list under Section 22-A of the Registration Act.
The representation cited a historical first-survey district statement, which recorded 33,929 Waqf institutions covering 77,538.61 acres. Of this, 57,423.91 acres, or 74.06 per cent, were reported as being under encroachment, while 20,114.70 acres were shown as being under the control of the Waqf Board. It cautioned that these figures “should not be treated as a present-day judicial determination that all the reported land had been permanently lost”.
It said the four old districts of Medak, Rangareddy, Adilabad and Mahbubnagar accounted for 54,315.78 acres, or 94.59%, of the reported encroachment. It sought institution-wise verification of the original extent, present possession, private encroachments, government occupation, lawful acquisitions and land covered by final court judgments.
The MLA proposed that Collectors and the Waqf Board certify these details within 60 days. Government departments and corporations occupying Waqf land should disclose the notification, allotment, award or court order supporting their occupation, besides the amount payable and the amount actually paid, the representation said.
Section 22-A protection
Owaisi sought an effective implementation of Section 22-A of the Registration Act by reconciling the Waqf Board’s authenticated property schedules with registration and revenue records.
He proposed that every entry in the prohibited-property list identify the institution, village, survey number, subdivision, extent, boundaries and legal basis. Old and new survey numbers should also be linked to prevent prohibited parcels from being registered under different descriptions.
The MLA stressed that inclusion in the prohibited-property list would prevent prohibited registration but would not by itself settle disputed title or cancel existing deeds.
His representation also called for completion of the second Waqf survey, reportedly ordered in 2001 and submitted in 2014, which identified 13,610 additional institutions covering 3,072 acres. It sought verification of these figures for duplication and completion of the pending statutory process.
Disputed properties, Waqf land claims
Owaisi’s representation highlighted several specific Waqf properties and institutions, including Jamia Nizamia at Raidurg, Hussain Shah Wali Dargah at Manikonda, Makhdoom Biyabani Dargah at Aloor and Baba Sharfuddin Pahadi Dargah, seeking action on land claims, compensation, acquisitions and pending disputes.
The representation also sought joint surveys, verification of land records and recovery proceedings for several other Waqf properties, including Muslim Maternity Hospital at Maheshwaram, Masjid-e-Alamgir at Guttala Begumpet, Shah Raju Hussaini Qattal Dargah, Mir Momin Chup Dargah, Mir Mahmood Pahadi Dargah, Waqf-e-Rahmania at Mahbubnagar and Bade Shahi Ashoorkhana at Khammam, among others.
It further sought verification of claims relating to properties linked to Hussain Shah Wali, Jamia Masjid and graveyard at Narsapur, Qutub Shahi Masjid at Choutuppal, Nabi Shah Hussaini Dargah at Cherlapally and Masjid-e-Almas at Nalgonda.
Compensation and govt dues
The representation sought settlement of a reported Rs 350 crore claim relating to 44 Waqf properties acquired by the GHMC. It urged the government to reconcile acquisition awards, possession records and payments, release admitted dues and ensure compensation claims are pursued in accordance with the law.
It also called for compensation and statutory dues relating to other acquired Waqf properties to be settled and sought safeguards to ensure future infrastructure and development projects affecting Waqf land provide for legally mandated compensation.
The representation sought the delivery and protection of land allotted for Muslim burial grounds, including the implementation of a 125-acre allotment for model graveyards in Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri. It also sought the handover of the remaining land at Kurmalguda and funding for site development. The MLA further called for an inquiry into the reported demolition of the Kundakal chilla during road-widening works and sought measures to protect religious sites and associated Waqf land.
Board, litigation, and management
The representation called for strengthening the Telangana Waqf Board with adequate staff and legal resources, besides establishing a dedicated legal cell to handle documentation and court cases. It also sought disclosure of the status of the CB-CID inquiry announced in 2021 into Waqf-related matters and flagged complaints involving several educational and charitable institutions for examination. The MLA further sought action-taken reports on alleged encroachments and disputes involving religious sites, graveyards and other Waqf properties across the state.
The MLA proposed a time-bound programme, with a Government Order within 15 days, identification of properties requiring immediate protection and reconciliation of GHMC dues within 30 days, priority surveys and compensation calculations within 60 days, and recovery and correction proceedings within 90 days. It also sought regular reviews and public reports on the action taken.
SOURCE : SIASAT
