By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The election for the chairmen and members in both Shia and Sunni Central Board of Waqfs of Uttar Pradesh (UP) will be held in Lucknow on February 13. Issuing the notification the state waqf ministry informed newsmen that each board will have a chairman and eight members in their committee.
Giving the details, the Waqf Minister Shahzil Islam stated that the voter lists for the UP Shia Central Board of Wakf and UP Sunni Central Board of Wakfs has been displayed in their respective offices on Saturday. Objections if any in the voters lists are invited till 5 pm on Februrary 8. The final voters’ list will be prepared after reviewing the objections.
As per the officials of the waqf ministery, each board has a quota of two members from Muslim MPs and two from Muslim MLAs, two from state bar council and two caretakers from the waqf properties having income of minimum Rs one lakh. The waqf boards are responsible for managing lands and properties registered with them belonging to various dargahs, institutions and even individuals. Lately, the boards have assumed significance with spiraling land prices with every political party eying the posts. The outgoing Chairman of Sunni Waqf Board (SWB) Hafiz Mohd Usman, a former president of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students’s union created ripples when he announced that Taj Mahal in Agra built by Mugal emperor Shahjahan is a waqf property and should be handed over to the board. The board however later denied claim over Taj Mahal.
“We took over when the board was under deficit worth several lakhs and left the board with nearly seven crores rupees as excess and succeeded in granting timely salary payments to the staff,” said Hafiz Usman who remained elusive over running in the elections this year. The Shia waqf board too had its share of controversies after the appointment of Waseem Rizvi as its chairman. Rizvi considered close to Imam-e-Juma, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad has even lodged a police report against noted Shia cleric Maulana Ali Naseer Saeed Abaqati aka Agha Roohi on grounds that he misappropriated the funds of a waqf property at Agra as its caretaker. Agha Roohi went on to stage demonstration against him demanding his ouster.
The previous panel of Sunni waqf board had members with leaning towards Samajwadi Party (SP) headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav while the present ruling government Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Chief Minister Mayawati will surely want to depute her aides in these organisations. The two boards have assumed significance with the mad rush going over land titles in the state.
The election schedule for the waqf boards will begin from Februrary 12. Nomination can be filed till 2 pm on Februrary 12 which will be scrutinised same day between 3 pm-4:30 pm followed by withdrawl if any till 6 pm. Polling will be held on February 13 between 9 am-1 pm followed by counting 3 pm-4:30 pm and declaration of results after 5 pm.
Both waqf boards are elected for five year terms. Last boards terms expired on December 31st, 2009.
Addresses:
Shia Central Board of Wakf, U.P.,
817, Indira Bhawan, Ashok Marg, Lucknow – 226 001
U.P. Sunni Central Board of Wakfs,
3-A, Mall Avenue, Lucknow – 226 001
U.P. Wakf Development Corporation Ltd.,
118, 1st Floor, Jawahar Bhawan,
Ashoka Marg,
Lucknow – 226 001