Reclaim 28,000 acres of Wakf land: Ex-chairman of Karnataka Minorities Commission

Bengaluru: Former chairman of the Karnataka Minorities Commission Anwar Manippady on Tuesday warned that unless the Karnataka government began the process of reclaiming Wakf properties encroached on by private individuals and politicians, the if the government failed to take any action, the Muslim Wakf Corruption Eradication Forum would launch a agitation on the issue in Bengaluru soon.

In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said although the previous government had tried to take recover the encroached Wakf properties, there had been no progress since.

“If you do not take concrete action, we will be forced to launch an agitation,” he said. In Mr Manippady’s estimation around 28,000 acres of 54,000 acres of Wakf land, whose market value was pegged at Rs 15 lakh crore, had been encroached on.

“On March 16, 2013, state level and district task forces were constituted by the then BJP government to reclaim the encroached Wakf land. As per the government order, the task forces headed by deputy commissioners were to meet every month and review the progress. But nothing of the sort has happened,” he deplored.

Referring to the Supreme Court order of January 28, 1998 which said Wakf land could not be alienated or leased and should be reclaimed if it fell under the juridiction of any other institute, he regretted that Upa Lokayukta, Justice N. Anand’s report on encroached Wakf properties had never seen the light of day.