Telangana State Wakf Board charges a pittance but tenants still quibble
Hyderabad: The stalemate over rent between the Telangana State Wakf Board (TSWB) and tenants of two properties — Nabi Khana Moulvi Akbar and Mecca Madina Alladin Wakf — is resulting in the loss of lakhs of rupees in revenue to the board every month.
The prime properties are located in the commercial hub of Pathergatti, where property rents are higher than any other market in the old city. Board officials say that the rents fixed by it at Rs 15 to Rs 25 per square foot is already very low, but the tenants are not paying even at these rates and are demanding that they be reduced.
At the Nabi Khana Moulvi Akbar complex, there are close to 330 shops in the three-storeyed building. “Rents of the shops were fixed in 2014 taking into account the plinth area. The rent for road-facing shops was fixed at Rs 25 a square foot while for those at the back of the building or on the upper floors was fixed at Rs15-20 per sq. ft,” Mr Mohammed Azmathullah, chief rent inspector said. The rents work out to between Rs 300 and Rs 1,500 a month per shop.
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Mr Azmath says traders used to pay even less before the 2014 revision. Similarly, there are 730 mulgis and 24 flats in Mecca Madina Alladin Wakf and the shopkeepers, according to sources in the board, have not been paying the rent for months.
“We are not paying the rents because there is a dispute between the muttawalli (caretaker) and the board. How can we pay rent to two people,” said Mr Mohd Shareef, a shopkeeper. However, the board denies such a dispute and says it has direct control over the property. The rent arrears have run into thousands of rupees for each shop.
Telangana State Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem said that he had called for a meeting with the shopkeepers to resolve the issue.
Pay rents, will give facilities: Wakf chief
Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem visited the Nabi Khana Moulvi Akbar and Mecca-Madina Alladin Wakf Buildings.
He inspected the buildings and spoke to the tenants. He assured the tenants that all facilities would be provided if they pay their rents on time and clear the arrears.
“Affluent persons had endowed their properties to the Wakf Board so that the poor and destitute could benefit through the proceeds. But the rich and middle class are enjoying the property without paying rents on time and accruing huge backlogs”, Mr Saleem said.
He said the Wakf Board would issue notices to the defaulters and, with the help of police, evict those who fail to pay up. When asked why the Wakf Board was soft in collection of arrears, Mr Saleem said from now they will focus on the collection of rent.
“Both the properties are under the direct control of the Wakf Board. A meeting with the shopkeepers has been fixed for this weekend where we will listen to their problems and discuss rent related issues”, he said. There are third parties claiming to be caretakers and collecting rent, but Mr Saleem said no one is authorised to collect money except the Wakf officials.
