Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 3: The Government today admitted on the floor of the Upper House that some big and influential families have encroached upon the prime Wakaf land/ properties worth tens of crores near Gole Market, adjacent to Ziarat at Gandhi Nagar in Jammu city.
The issue was raised in the State Legislative Council by the PDP member, Syed Naeem Akhtar during the Question Hour today. Minister Incharge Haj, Auqaf and Floriculture Peerzada Mohd Sayeed was replying to the volley of question. While replying to the main question and the subsequent supplementaries of the Opposition member, the Minister admitted that Wakaf land belonging to Ziarat of Peer Ibrahim Shah Sahib at Gandhi Nagar in Jammu, was under the illegal occupation of a big and famous family besides other influential people.
When the member pressed for disclosing the names of all those people who have encroached upon Waqaf land in the area, the Minister avoided to disclose the names. The member then again stood up and abruptly said, “ Aup Sab ko jantey ho fir bhi Kiyun Unke naam Chhupa Rahey Ho.” The Minister then replied, if the member was interested in all the names, he would provide all the details/ list to him. But at the same time, the Minister said that Board was trying to recover its land and Supreme Court has also given decision against these illegal occupants but they have now moved to the High Court on the plea of proper identification/demarcation of the land and property. He assured the members that his department was vigorously pursuing the matter in the court of law.
Referring to the present status of the land worth tens of crores at Gandhi Nagar belonging to Dargah of Hazrat Ibrahim Shah Qadri, Peerzada said that total area of the Ziarat land was 74 kanal and 06 marlas, out of which Government has requisitioned 12 kanal and 5 marlas of land, leaving the remaining 62 kanal and 01 marla with the Ziarat.
The minister further claimed that the Ziarat of Peer Ibrahim Shah along with Wakaf properties have not been taken over by the Auqaf Islamia Jammu for its management. The matter was dragged by the ‘Muzabirs’ to the Supreme Court who passed directions in favour of Auqaf Islamia for taking over Ziarat Sharief and other Auqaf properties. Now, petitioners have again gone to the High Court and raised dispute regarding proper identification of suit property.
When asked whether any committee was appointed by Government in 2013 to scrutinize the functioning of Wakaf Board or any inquiry initiated in this regard, the Minister claimed that no committee or inquiry was initiated in this regard so far. The PDP member again pressed and asked for Government’s reply, the Minister declined having any inquiry initiated or committee framed to look into the properties of the Waqaf Board and scrutinize.
Mr Akhtar then produced a document/ order No 233 from Chief Minister’s office in reference to order No SCAFA-1/2012-13 dated 9-3-2013 regarding constitution of a special committee for conducting administrative and financial audit of Wakf properties. He forwarded the document to the Chairman of the Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra exposing that Minister was giving wrong reply in the House and trying to hide the facts. The member and even the Chairman then read a part of this order issued from the Chief Minster’s office. The Congress Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed had to face embarrassing situation in the House as he was caught at wrong foot.
Peerzada expressed ignorance over the development and the Chairman, however, let the Minister go scot free, without any observation or directives from the ‘chair’ for wrong reply. The document also mentioned the names of the members of the Committee including Altaf Hussain–retired special secretary Tourism Deptt, Mohd Shaban Najar- retired Chief Engineer and Sheikh Abdul Rashid- retired Financial Advisor/ CAO. The committee was entrusted with the task to identify land/ properties of Waqaf Board under unauthorised occupation, reasons of non-eviction; the unauthorised subletting of properties, preparation of inventory of moveable and immovable properties of Wakf Board, identification of lands/ properties which have not been shown under ownership of Wakf Board in the revenue records etc.
Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri asked how much Waqaf land was lying under the illegal occupation of people and what steps were being taken by the Government to get it back. The Minister said there was still huge land under the illegal occupation. Some of the land has been retrieved but the efforts are being initiated to get the encroached land back. Giving more details, the Minister disclosed that besides locals, over 3000 kanals of land was lying under the occupation of Defence and other 12 Government Departments. He said 2539 kanal of land was under Defence/ Army, 307 kanal and 12 marls under Education Department, 103 kanal 15 marlas under RDD, 46 kanal 14 marlas under J&K Bank, 61 kanal 14 marlas under PHE, 190 kanal under PRO/ Evacuee Deptt, 197 kanal 15 marlas under Police Department, 51 kanal under Railways, 39 kanal under PWD, 10 kanal under Irrigation & Flood Control, 5 kanal under Local Bodies, 5 marlas under Deptt of Posts and 2 kanal 16 marlas under PDD in Jammu.
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