Waqf board identifies 326 new properties

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 8

A survey by the Haryana Waqf Board has identified 326 new Waqf properties — spread over 1,791 kanals and 7 marlas —across the state.

The survey is complete in Sonepat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala and Sirsa districts, while the process is in progress in other districts.

“For the purpose of the survey, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Sub-divisional Magistrates were appointed Survey Commissioners, Additional Survey Commissioner and Assistant Survey Commissioner of their areas,” said Hanif Qureshi, IG (Security) and Chief Executive Officer of the board.

He said several Waqf properties were yet to be identified, as many of them were under illegal occupation.

Waqf Board properties are mosques, idgahs, burial grounds and land attached with them by the Muslim population of the area before Partition.

Sources said that as large number of Muslims migrated to Pakistan during Partition, their mosques, idgahs and burial grounds remained unused for long. Hence, influential people encroached upon the properties.

After the increase in Muslim population, most of who migrated to Haryana from other states for jobs, the need for more mosques has arisen. Recently, youths from Gurugram had stopped Muslims from offering “namaz” in parks and other public places.

The board had, on Tuesday, requested the authorities to free 19 mosques from illegal occupation.

Qureshi said, “The Haryana Waqf Board has 12,975 properties across the state. Of them, the records of 12,620 properties are uploaded on the website of the Waqf Management System of India (WAMSI).”

He said that during the National Waqf Conference in New Delhi on Monday, Haryana was lauded for managing Waqf properties.

He said Waqf Boards of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh demanded the bid system for leasing out properties be done away with.

“We have no problem with the bid system for a new lease. But for existing lessees, the system should be abolished as Waqf income has decreased from Rs 28 crore per annum to Rs 14 crore after the introduction of the bid system, making it difficult for us to even pay salaries,” Qureshi said.

He said that on the request of Waqf Boards of the four states, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Justice Zakiullah Khan (retd) of the Allahabad High Court to examine the matter and submit a report.