Who Stopped KCR From Giving Judicial Powers To Waf Board Since Assuming Power In 2014

Hyderabad, Dec 31 (Maxim News): On several occasions including on the floor of the Assembly, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has promised to give Judicial Powers to the Waqf Board to save guard its properties, it meant the Waqf Board would be given the powers to evict encroachers from Waqf properties, without having to go to revenue officials or the legal route, but it surprising to understand “Who has stopped KCR for giving Judicial powers, there was no opposition on this issue actually there is no opposition in the State” then why this issue has been kept pending since 2014.

It may be recalled that on several occasions, Muslim leaders and Muslim organizations have demanded that the Chief Minister should fulfill his promise of safeguarding Waqf properties, on this KCR had promised judicial powers to the Waqf Board and also gone to extend that encroached land will be taken back — how powerful the encroachers are. The properties will be reclaimed and the Waqf Board will be given judicial powers, this is also my promise said KCR several times.

Whenever discussions took place on the floor of the Assembly, it has been brought to the notice of KCR stating that there are 33,929 Waqf Institutions in the state with a total land spread across over 77,500 acres worth over Rs. 5 lakh crores, Out of the total over 57,400 acres have been encroached upon. The Waqf Board, which is currently dependent on government funds to meet its own expenses, can do a lot for the Muslim community by making use of the property it owns for commercial purposes. The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues listened in the House and made announcements of giving Judicial Power and also announcing constituting the House Committee, and meeting with the Minority MLAs, but all these were put in the dustbin when the Assembly was over. Again when the Assembly reassembled, the same issue came, and the same answer got to the members who raised the issue, this is all happening for the last 8 years.

The Telangana State Wakf Board is one of the richest Muslim endowment bodies in India with properties reportedly worth Rs. 5 lakh crore. As much as the figure sounds nice to hear, it is merely on paper because about 75 percent of its properties have been encroached upon. The reason for these large-scale encroachments can be blamed on years of corruption, mismanagement, and callousness of successive governments.

It may also be recalled former chairman of the Minorities Commission Abid Rasool Khan in the year 2016 has given a 1,000-page detailed report regarding the irregularities in the Waqf Board to the government, he had also written to the Chief Minister urging him to order a CBI inquiry into the affairs of the Board and its properties. He said Waqf properties need protection. If the government is serious about its promise, the Commission should be given a budget. The Wakf Board should be streamlined and should be given judicial powers and making it a Commissionerate, in line with the powers that the office of the Hindu endowments Commissioner has been a long pending demand.

Lubna Sarwath believes that making the Waqf Tribunal fully functional and transparent can help in the quick adjudication of encroached Waqf properties. “The Wakf Act has conferred the Wakf Tribunal with powers equivalent to the High Court. The need of the hour is to make it more transparent. This will also help reduce the burden on the High Court, Lubna said. The Wakf Tribunal is a civil Court that can adjudicate matters related to Wakf properties. (Maxim News)

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