Bidar, Sep 10: Karnataka State Waqf Board chairman Mohammad Yusuf has warned stringent action against the encroachers of Waqf properties.
Responding to the queries of media persons here Mr Yusuf said that the board had been filing cases against encroachers in all districts. “In some districts, we have filed criminal cases against officials of some government agencies like city municipal councils”, he said.
The 2014 amendment to the Waqf Act has given us more power to act against encroachers. The provisions will be strictly implemented, he said.
According to the chairman, a large number of Waqf properties were lost “due to wrong implementation of the Karnataka Land Reform Act, Inam Abolition Act, Rent Control Act and other laws.” Around 26,000 acres of Waqf properties are controlled by government departments like Revenue, Muzurai and Forest, he said.
He said that in some cases, private individuals or trusts had encroached Waqf lands in connivance with Imams and Mutawwalis of Islamic institutions. Such people should realize that the Imams and Mutawwalis are only trustees and protectors of the Waqf properties and not owners, he said. Such encroachments cannot be curbed easily as the level of awareness about Waqf laws among the Muslim community was very low.
The Waqf board will appoint 365 new personnel to streamline its work.
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