By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Tightening the noose around non registered Mosques, Madrasas and Dargah, Maharashtra state Wakf board has issued a legal notice against all such religious bodies in the state that have not registered so far with the board and whose trustees do not present yearly income details to the board.
There are only 7000 Muslim religious bodies that have actually done registration with the board and timely update board about the yearly income to the body.
The Wakf board, through its sources has found that there are twenty three thousand such structures present in the state whose trustees are evading Wakf and have not yet registered with it. To round up such trustees, board decided to issue legal notice against all such structures calling for completing procedures with the board failing to which trustees will be liable of legal punishment and fine of Rs. 10,000.
The board is also in a planning to prepare posters calling people not to give sacrificed animals’ skin and charity money to such non registered bodies.
The board official says that there are many Mosques and Madrasas in the state whose yearly income is more than Rs. 1, 00,000 but their trustees do not want to do registration with WAKF board and hence board was compelled to issue legal notice against them.
Maharashtra government initially allotted Rs. 340 Crores for minority development in its current year budget which was again supplemented with Rs.140 Crores in the recent budget. The finance secretary of state has not allotted any money from his minority development declared fund to the state WAKF board and hence the board is left to sustain on its own.
As state Wakf board’s request for providing fund of Rs. 200 crore and appointment of 770 employees is long pending with the state government and due to non allocation of any fund from recent budget, the board wholly depends upon charges received during registration or renewal of Mosques and Madrasas in the state.
(With inputs from Aurangabadtimes)