HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday instructed officials to formulate a Telangana State Wakf Act along the lines of the Central Wakf Act to ensure smooth functioning of the board.
Mr Rao asked officials to take steps to identify and protect Wakf properties; they should be fenced, compound walls should be constructed around them, and they should be placed under the control of the district collectors.
As part of the ongoing purification of the land re-cords, Wakf properties are to be identified and their details are to be included in the records of the revenue department. Mr Rao said that he wanted an action plan for the recovery of illegally-grabbed lands to be prepared. He said that the government would wholeheartedly extend its support.
“If there is a dispute between the revenue department and the Wakf Board, it should be settled immediately. Once a piece of land or a property is earmarked as owned by the Wakf Board, it should remain that way forever,” he said.
Mr Rao asked for two committees to be formed for the protection of Wakf properties – one to record the details of the properties and the other to carry out inspections at the ground level and implement protective measures. He instructed the collectors to extend their cooperation.
The Chief Minister asked for the formulation of clear guidelines for the functioning of the Wakf board. He said that he wanted the Board to conduct an extended meeting in the near future to prepare its future course of action.
According to sources, the CM sought suggestions fro-m members of the Board regarding the manner in which complaints regarding missing files pertaining to various important Wakf pr-operties should be dealt wi-th. He also inquired with them about a few decisions made by the Board in recent months.
A vigilance officer is likely to be introduced as a new post in the Board.
