State Muslims Skeptical About Centre’s Move To Develop The Wakf Property

Decision on wakf property

* Those encroaching upon wakf property have political connections, Nekibur Zaman alleges

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Even though indigenous Assamese Muslims have welcomed the Centre’s move to develop the wakf property for welfare of the society, they are still apprehensive whether the move will clear such property from encroachers in the State.

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday announced that wakf properties across India will be geo-tagged and digitized. The Centre will provide 100 per cent funding to develop educational institutions and hospitals on such properties for the welfare of society, Naqvi said.

Noted lawyer and former chairman of State Wakf Board Nekibur Zaman said it is good to hear announcements of the Centre to develop the wakf property. He, however, expressed his doubt whether the BJP-led government will be able to show strong political will to crack down on those encroaching wakf property.

The Wakf board owns properties in around 15,850 bighas of land in the State and their value is said to be Rs 55,000 crore. Many of these are now under illegal occupation.

Zaman said that the properties should – under normal circumstances – yield a revenue of over Rs 7,000 crore per annum. However, in the recent fiscal years, the revenue collected from the properties was in between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, he said.

“It is clear from the statistics that there is something grossly wrong somewhere. In 1957, 962 properties were registered. No new property was registered thereafter till 2014-15, when 130 new properties were registered,” Zaman said. He alleged that those illegally occupying wakf property in the city’s prime localities such Fancy Bazar and Lakhtokia have nexus with influential politicians.

Demanding immediate implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013 in the State, Zaman said the amended law has been implemented in other States, but not in Assam. “I had submitted the rules and regulations of the amended Wakf Act to the State government so as to get the Act implemented. If the Act is implemented much of the irregularities in the Board will be streamlined,” Zaman said

Many indigenous Muslims have echoed Zaman and hoped that the Sarbananda Sonowal government will clear the wakf property from illegal occupation to use them for welfare of the society.

Also Read: Central Waqf Council team inspects Wakf Estate in Guwahati, discuss development schemes for Wakf Estates in Assam