STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Non-appointment of its Chairman has reduced the Assam Board of Wakfs (ABW) to a headless entity even though the Board owns over 15,000-bigha landed property.
Since the retirement of Advocate Nekibur Zaman as the Chairman the State Wakf Board in 2017, no Chairman has been appointed by the State government.
Talking to The Sentinel, a shocked Zaman said, "How come the Board of Wakfs that has over 15,000 bighas of landed property remains a headless entity? During my tenure as the Chairman of the Wakf Board, we could dispose of over 50 per cent of its property cases. However, I couldn't start the process of fresh leasing out of Wakf property during my tenure. Since my tenure as the Wakf Board Chairman, revenue earnings and collection went up. If the remaining cases relating to Wakf property are disposed of, revenue collection will be much higher."
Zaman added, "Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his government did announce that it would conduct a survey to ascertain the Wakf property and institute a probe into corruption in various Wakf property deals. The State government also assured us of making the Wakf board corruption free. However, the State government hasn't done anything of that sort as yet. It hasn't also implemented the Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013, a Central government Act that has enough teeth to safeguard the Wakf property in the State."
Zaman further said, "Wakf property in the State was surveyed last in 1957. Since donation of land and other property to the Wakf board has been going on, the landed property of the Board might have swelled manifold now. All donors to the Wakf Board are indigenous Muslims. The State government should conduct a survey of the Wakf property in the State, make the landed property encroachment free and hand them over to the Board."
Zaman, however, has raised a question as to why the Welfare of Minorities and Development department stopped short of inquiring into the illegal appointment in the State Wakf Board even after complaints were lodged.
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