By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: After the high voltage drama, the elections for the post of chairman in both UP Sunni Central Board of Waqfs and Shia Central Board of Waqfs were held unanimously on Monday. Zufar Farooqui and Maulana Kamaluddin Jawed Akbar were elected unopposed as chairmen for Sunni and Shia Central Board of Waqfs respectively.
The name of Maulana Akbar who is also the brother in law of eminent shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad was proposed by outgoing chairman Waseem Rizvi. No other nomination was received and he was elected unopposed. Earlier a section among shia community was opposing his nomination demanding that the post should be handed over to a retired judge of high court. The demand fizzled out after Justice (retd) SHA Raza who was nominated as member resigned after the controversy involving his son in law, Kamran Rizvi IAS who was accused of facilitating his entry into the board. Besides Justice Raza, another SAH Rizvi an uncle of Kamran who was also appointed as member of the board tendered his resignation.
In the Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, Zufar Farooqui who was elected as member under mutawalli quota was elected unopposed as chairman of the board. His name was proposed by Shahnawaz Rana an MLA who was earlier also running for the post. Farooqui hails from Laharpur in Sitapur district. Spelling out his priorities Farooqui said: “We will try to ensure proper management of waqf properties as per the provision of waqf acts. The stress will on revenue generation and its proper utilisation for charitable projects.”
The two boards act as custodian to the properties registered as waqfs by muslim orgnisations, institutions and even individuals. Lately, the boards have assumed significance with spiralling land prices due to rapid urbanisation in the state.
Each board has 13 members who elect the chairman from themselves. Eight members are elected while five are nominated in each board. The elected members are from various electorate including two member each from MLA and MPs, Bar Council, and Mutawallis segment.