Hyderabad: Road Work on Toli Mosque Waqf Land Draws Protest

Hyderabad: Road construction on Waqf land belonging to Toli Mosque in Karwan has raised concerns, with activists alleging that the property has faced encroachment for the past 25 years.

They alleged that a cement concrete (CC) road was being laid without following due process for land acquisition and providing compensation to the Waqf Board.

The road is intended to improve connectivity between Puranapul and Langar Houz.

A drainage pipeline has been laid over more than four acres of the 27.30 acres of Waqf land and graveyard belonging to Toli Mosque over the past several months.

The GHMC is now constructing a CC road on the land without any settlement or clearance, activists alleged.

Osman bin Alhajri, president of the Deccan Waqf Protection Society, said the GHMC had attempted to lay a road across 15,000 square yards of land in 2013.

He said he had submitted a representation to then Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, seeking compliance with legal procedures and compensation.

He had also filed a case before the Waqf Tribunal.

Alhajri said the work was stopped after the GHMC gave an undertaking before the court that it would not proceed with it. However, construction resumed in 2022, he said.

He added that they had asked the authorities to follow due process.

He also alleged that the graveyard attached to the mosque was being encroached upon.

In a recent letter to the GHMC Commissioner, Waqf Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mohammed Asadullah referred to a case filed by Osman bin Al Hajri and a petition pending before the High Court in 2022.

The CEO said the Waqf Board had repeatedly written to GHMC officials, asking them to follow the law and initiate land acquisition proceedings under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

However, the Board learnt that GHMC officials were once again attempting to lay a road across the Waqf property without following the statutory procedure.

The CEO said this would be contrary to the Waqf Tribunal's order and the undertaking given by the GHMC.

He urged the GHMC commissioner to direct the officials concerned to follow the legal procedure for acquiring the land.

He also asked the GHMC to stop road-widening and other works until the acquisition process was completed.

Activist Md Habeebuddin said several roads had been constructed on Waqf properties in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal districts, similar to the CC road being laid on the Toli Mosque land.

He alleged that even the Waqf Board was unaware of some of these works.

He called for a comprehensive survey of such properties to seek compensation or alternative land from the state government.