By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: The Assam Waqf board has declared to put pressure on the state government to enforce the amended (Act 27 of 2013) to the state’s Waqf Act, 1995 to reclaim encroached waqf properties across Assam.
A meeting was held here on Sunday to discuss various issues pertaining to the waqf properties. It was attended by representatives of farmers, students’ unions, lawyers and youth.
The civil society meeting going on in Guwahati
The newly appointed Waqf Board president Nekibur Zaman has invited people from various walks of life to eradicate the anomalies of Assam Wakf Board and also to reclaim the encroached properties of the board in the state. The Sunday meeting decided to pressure on the state government to enforce the amended Act 27 of 2013 of the Waqf Act, 1995. It also decided to form a committee to execute the action plans in this regard.
“Several resolutions were passed during the meeting to put pressure on the government so as to reclaim the lands and other properties. We will conduct conventions shortly to make people aware regarding the Waqf properties. We will also submit a memorandum to the chief minister to take appropriate action,” Zaman said after the meeting.
“If we can reclaim the lands and properties, we can build schools or colleges, which will benefit all,” he added.
As per Zaman and as discussed during the meeting, there are more than 20,000 bighas of land besides a number of tea gardens (under Waqf Board) but most of the properties are being misused. Other than that, there are 179 registered properties under the board. “The present value of these properties even by conservative estimates will be about Rs 50,000 crore. But the revenue which is generated at the present time is mere Rs 70,000-80,000,” the meeting discussed.
A huge portion of these properties have been encroached. “Even the state government has constructed some office buildings on these properties,” alleged Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury, senior advocate and former Waqf board president.
Three conventions will be organized in the state, including one in the Barak Valley, to create awareness and consensus among the people in the process to re-claim the land and properties of the board, the meeting decided.
Former Gauhati University professor Abdul Mannan urged the people to adopt the path of democratic agitation. “No one will give us the due rights. We have to bring it into our hands. And for that we might have to come out to the streets to demand our rights,” Mannan said.
Members of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Tai Ahom Students Union, All Assam Minority Students’ Union, All BTC Minority Students’ Union, All Assam Lawyers Union and Assam Goria Moria Juba Parishad among others took part in the meeting.