By TCN News
New Delhi: There are hundreds of thousands of acres of waqf land that are encroached many by government agencies but few waqf boards have any plans to take all this property back into their possession.
Out of 27 waqf boards in India, only one, Uttarakhand Wakf Board has requested the local administration to remove illegal encroachment from waqf land that has come to the notice of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Minister of State for Minority Affairs Vincent H. Pala informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday about the Uttarakhand case. But the Union Government has refused to take any responsibility by saying that it is State/Union Territories Wakf Boards responsibility to remove encroachment from wakf land however they are dependent on district administration for enforcements.
The House was also informed that all receipts received by the Wakf Board form the wakf fund. The Wakf Act 1995 provides that the wakf fund can be used for the purposes of repayment of loan, payment of the cost of audit, payment of the salary and allowances to the officers and staff of the Board, payment of travelling allowances to the Chairperson/members of the Board etc.
The fund is also utilized by the Board for preservation and protection of wakf properties, Pala said. He further informed the House that Central Government is not giving any financial assistance to the State Wakf Boards. However, under the scheme of Computerization of records of State Wakf Boards, the Central Government is providing funds to the State/UT Wakf Boards.