Upper House panel to probe misuse of waqf land

Junaid Hashmi

Jammu

Chairman Legislative Council Haji Anayat Ali on Monday said that a house committee would be constituted to look into the complaints regarding the misuse of Wakaf land.

The decision to constitute house committee was taken after MLCs from both the opposition and the treasury benches expressed concern over the sad state of affairs of the wakf properties. The issue was raised by National Conference (NC) MLC Dr Shehnaz Ganai after the state government in response to her question accepted that several hundred kanals of waqf land is under illegal occupation of various departments, agencies and individuals. Ganai said that the waqf department has become a hub of illegalities and wrong doings.

She was supported by members from the treasury benches. PDP’s Yasir Reshi said that need of the hour is to unmask all those people who sold the waqf property on peanuts to various people. “They have destroyed this department. Need of the hour is find out all those people who did this and take them to task,” Reshi was heard saying. He was joined by Surinder Choudhary and NC MLC Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo who too demanded that a house committee be constituted.

Responding to this demand, Chairman Legislative Council Haji Anayat Ali today said that a house committee would be constituted to look into the complaints regarding the misuse of Wakaf land. Earlier, replying to the question of NC MLC Shehnaz Ganai, Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi said that 2509.02 Kanal of Wakaf land is under occupation of various departments/agencies and individuals in the state.

Minister said that the process for retrieval of Wakaf properties has been initiated. “The matter has been taken up with the Home Department, as well as various other concerned departments for vacation of the Wakaf properties under their occupation,” he assured. He said that the occupants have also been directed to pay the rent regularly. He said that necessary proceedings under the Wakaf Act 2001 have been initiated to retrieve the property held by individuals.

Regarding the land between Hotel Fortune Rivera and Van Bhawan, Minister said that Wakaf land measuring 03 Kanal and 17 Marlas, below Gumat area, is in two patches, out of which an area measuring 02 kanals has been leased out by the State Wakaf Council vide decision No. 13.29 through open auction against a premium of Rs. 1.25 Crore in favour of Tariq Ahmad Parray. As far as the 2nd portion measuring 01 kanal 17 marlas is concerned, the matter is under process for allotment in favour of the Jammu and Kashmir State Finance Corporation.

Besides, there is one more patch of land measuring 01 kanal 13 marIas, out of which 17 marlas and 61 square-feets has been allotted by the State Wakf Council against a premium of Rs. 77,03,0001 and the 2nd location measuring 16 Marlas stands has been leased out to Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh against a premium of Rs. 72 Lakh in open auction by the council. However, council in its 17th meeting cancelled the said allotment of Manzoor Ahmad and directed to refund the said amount without interest in favour of the concerned allottee.

The department has no mentioned any specific reason for cancelling the allotment. Regarding the land at Gandhinagar, the minister said that the Wakaf land, recently retrieved at Gandhi Nagar Jammu is temporarily being used as a parking lot as well as for holding exhibitions and trade fairs and the site is expected to generate approximately Rs 40 lakh during the current financial year. He said the state Wakaf Council has taken up the matter for the remaining land at Gandhi Nagar with the occupants for negotiation to bring them in Wakaf fold on case to case basis.

Minister said that Auqaf Department has initiated a number of schemes for the welfare of the community especially for poor and downtrodden sections of the society. He said that three nursing institutes at Jammu, Rajouri and Kishtwar have been set up while as Boys Hostel near GGM Science College has been established.

Andrabi said that Auqaf is also providing scholarships and pension to widows, orphans besides honorarium to Imams, Moazzins and Chowkidars of graveyards. He said that an amount of Rs 8.50 lakh is also being provided annually to the needy patients of remote areas. Minister said that State Wakaf Council has decided to establish three Nursing Institutes, Modern Level Schools and Hostel facility in order to provide better education to the students of poor and downtrodden sections on highly affordable rates. He said some seats in these institutes have also been earmarked for the poor meritorious students. Minister said that the Wakaf Board as well as Wakaf Council are being administered by separate legislation and in order to merge both the institutions, combined legislation is required.

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