By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started probe into alleged wakf scam worth Rs 1000 crore. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced CBI enquiry while addressing Eid Milan gathering couple of months after assuming office last year. Then in Assembly on 2nd September 2011, she had ordered for CBI enquiry into the scam that happened allegedly during the Left Front regime. CBI formally started the probe a few days ago.
About the CBI enquiry, Chairman of the State Board of Waqf Ex Judge Abdul Ghani said, he was asked by the Chief Minister Office to make a list of prime Waqf properties illegally sold or encroached upon. “I prepared the list and sent to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Office.’ According to sources in Minority Affairs & madrasa Education department which is under the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, there are 16 prime location properties in the list – all in Kolkata.
State Waqf Board Head Quarter at Madan Street, Kolkata.
The total no. of registered waqf properties with the State Waqf Board is 8,160, according to records of State Waqf Board. The number of public Waqf Estate is 7352 and Aulad Waqf Estate is 808. Beside this there is 10 Waqf estates under the direct Management. The registered waqf properties are in 16 districts of West Bengal. The largest number of properties is in the District of Burdwan (1514), North & South 24 Parganas (1046), Birbhum (884), Hooghly (866) and Kolkata (851). But most of the waqf properties in Kolkata are of high value.
According to sources at chief minister office, CBI did not agree to probe entire waqf properties; so they finally accepted to probe selected prime properties that are 16 in number. But in future, more Waqf properties may be included under the CBI enquiry.
Out of the 16 Waqf properties under the scam scanner handed over to CBI from the Mamata Banerjee led Government, 13 are at prime locations in Kolkata:
1. Prince Gulam Mohammad Shah Waqf Estate
2. Haji Ahmed Hossain Niazi Waqf Estate
3. Sajeda-Majeda Begum Waqf Estate
4. Sk Amjad Ali Waqf Estate
5. Khodeja Bibi Waqf Estate
6. Boo Ali Waqf Estate
7. Ajimunnesa & Amina Bibi Waqf Estate
8. Anjumani Islamia Waqf Estate
9. Mukim Sarkar Waqf Estate
10. Abdul Latif Waqf Estate
11. Mahishur Fateha Fund Waqf Estate
12. Ramjan Ali Mallick and bothers Waqf Estate
13. Haji Rahim Bux Waqf Estate
Of all, the Prince Golam Mohammad Shah Waqf Estate is said to be the most valuable waqf property. The market value of three properties under this estate is more than Rs 500 cr. Under the Prince Golam Mohammad Shah Waqf Estate three major properties are: 1. Shaw Wallace Building at 4&5, Banshall St., just few meters away from Chief Minister’s Administration Office Writers Building. India’s biggest wine merchant Vijay Mallya’s head office is at Shaw Wallace Building under the Shaw Wallace Company Pvt. Ltd. A previous rent was increased 10 times to make it to Rs 6 Lac per month and settlement finalized with a lump sum compensation of Rs 1 crore, and increased the leasing period again for 99 years in the Left Front period; 2) Royal Calcutta Golf Club, which is paying Rs 1 lac per month and 3) Tollygunge Club, measuring about 305 bighas of land, monthly rent Rs 1 Lac.
Boo Ali Waqf Estate is located near Sealdah Station. There is a boys hostel and Mosque and so many vacant land. Gradually large part has been encroached upon by people.
To know the details about the scam in the waqf properties, TCN called to CEO of State Waqf Board Mr Abdul Gani. But he refused to talk citing bar from higher officials.
In fact, the demand for CBI probe was made 15 years ago. The wakf scam issue was first raised in Parliament by Ex Member of Parliament Priyaranjan Dasgupta on 29th August 1996. Though on that time a judicial inquiry declared by Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. Under the title of ` Demand of inquiry into the scam of Wakf Property of Muslims in West Bengal’ Mr Dasmunshi told in parliament house that, ` TodayI am sorry to mention that a scam of more than Rs.1000 crore involving the Wakf property of the Muslims in Bengal has come out. It has been exposed and why not a CBI inquiry is held?’ But CPIM MP Somnath Chatterjee defended the matter saying, `The Government of West Bengal has directed a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. Now, in many matters they are asking for judicial inquiry. For political purposes, when a judicial inquiry has been ordered by a sitting judge today they do not have faith in judiciary.’
Jyoti Basu, Chief Minister of West Bengal, appointed a one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharya in March 1997. After nearly 5 years of investigation, an inquiry report was submitted on 31 Dec 2001 to the West Bengal government. The commission’s 1,355-page report exposed corruption in prime Waqf property in West Bengal.
Wine Brand Shaw Wallace Building on the Waqf Property in Kolkata near CM office.
Recommendations of Justice Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharya Commission report were never implemented by the Left front Government. And the commission report was kept in the cold storage allegedly because some people close to CPIM were involved in the scam worth Rs 1000 crore.
The commission had found that nine Waqf estates changed hands between 1980-85 and 117 between 1986-95. Of these, 28 were sold, 47 leased out, 21 exchanged and 30 handed over to promoters. Strangely, the Registrar of Waqf Board was unable to produce any legal document, deed or agreement, but only a few board resolutions.
Muslims of West Bengal always demanded CBI enquiry, but Left front Government denied. Now, after end of the left ruling Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accepted the demand and gave order for CBI enquiry.
Muslims are sure that CBI enquiry will find illegal transfer and sale of waqf properties. They cannot imagine that on a waqf land can come up head office of a wine company. But it is the reality. Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharya Commission report was finally submitted 4 year after the commission was set up. Now CBI has started enquiry. It is to be seen if they complete the probe in less time than the judicial probe.
The sad state of affairs at state waqf board is evident from their website alone. While the new government has completed one year, the site is still living in Left Front regime. The Contact Us section shows Buddhadeb Bhattacharya as Minister in Charge and Abdus Sattar as Minister of state.
Website:
http://www.boardofwakfswb.org/