Hyderabad: The Telangana State Wakf Board is planning to file a complaint against the GMR group seeking additional compensation for the 2,000 acres of land given by the Board for the establishment of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Mohammed Saleemuddin, chairman of the Telangana State Wakf Board, said, “The Masjid-e-Omer Farooq was demolished to make way for a runway. The Congress government had allotted only 50 acres of land to the Wakf Board as compensation. We will ask for more land.”
He said that eminent professional advocates are being brought in to strengthen the board’s legal team in preparation for the case. “Because of our legal team we have been able to save around 16 acres of land at M.M. Pahadi, which was being encroached upon,” he said.
Mr Saleemuddin, however, evaded questions regarding the construction of a building on Wakf land adjacent to the Masjid-e-Nana Bagh at Basheerbagh. “We are looking into it,” he said.
The Wakf Board plans to lease out parcels of land in and around the city to private firms. Among these parcels is the 50 acres of land at Pahadishareef which the Board received as compensation for the 2,000 acres of land given for RGI Airport.
Around 3,500 square yards of land on the southern side of the Haj House will also be leased out. “We plan to make the Board self-sufficient, and to use the revenues earned for the welfare of people,” he said.
Board checks encroachments
A team of officials from the Telangana State Wakf Board visited the Dargah Sadullah at Neknampur to inspect encroachments on the property of the Board-owned shrine.
According to Mohammed Saleemuddin, the chairman of the Board, 60 acres of the land belonging to the Wakf Board were allotted to employees of the AP Secretariat in 2012.
“The Congress government, instead of protecting the land, allowed the construction of 850 houses which were allotted to employees of the Secretariat. We will initiate legal action against the encroachers,” Mr Saleemuddin said.
Pattas have also been issued for another parcel of land that is part of the dargah’s property. The construction of a colony is being planned there.
“We will take up the issue with the Revenue Department and other departments involved in the project. For the time being, we have asked them to stop the construction work,” the chairman said.
The team also visited Dargah Roohullah at Alkapur, where some persons are trying to encroach upon the graveyard.
“If houses or commercial establishments are constructed on the graves, they will be demolished immediately,” the chairman warned.
Mr Saleemuddin said that the government was serious about protecting Wakf properties and that it was willing to take legal steps towards that end.
