Allotment of Wakf flats to Mehbooba’s kin cancelled

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 6

The state government has withdrawn the order of illegal allotment of a prized Wakf property — a two-storeyed house located close to former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s residence on Gupkar Road — to a cousin of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The decision to withdraw the order came after The Tribune reported that Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, vice-chairman, Wakf Board, and PDP general secretary, had illegally transferred two flats to Syed Sharqiya, daughter of Farooq Andrabi. Andrabi is Mehbooba’s uncle and was the Haj and Auqaf Minister in the PDP-BJP government.

“The order (transfer of two flats to Sharqiya) is hereby withdrawn and treated as cancelled ab initio,” reads an order issued by the Revenue Officer of the J&K Muslim Wakf Board.

Before transferring it to Sharqiya, the property was under the use of some private individuals, who had turned defaulters and their licence had expired.

Subsequently, the users were evicted and the Wakf Board took possession of the property.

As per rules, the Wakf Board had to notify the property for public auction subject to the payment of the premium and licence fee as per the prevalent marker rates.

However, without auction Bhat had transferred the property to Sharqiya on June 23 on a monthly rent of Rs 12,000.

Clarity on constituency schemes sought

• Following the imposition of Governor's rule in the state, clarifications have been sought by various quarters about the applicability of constituency development Scheme (CDS) guidelines. 
• An official spokesman here said the Planning Department had examined the matter and instructions have been issued to all Deputy Commissioners. These include the execution of all ongoing works to continue and be completed as per the fixed timelines and payments released to the executing agencies thereafter. 
• The spokesman said the proposal in respect of which either administrative approval had been accorded or detailed estimates had been prepared but the work had not so far commenced shall be executed expeditiously, after administrative approval wherever required and fulfilment of prescribed formalities.