By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Zard Bangla (yellow bungalow) located in prime locality of Khairtabad area in Hyderabad emerged as yet another example of Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board’s lousy administration. In a pitiable usage of wakf property two cinema houses Sun Shane and Sun Shine are running at the bungalow.
This fact was brought to the notice of people in a press conference by the Muslim Wakf Properties Protection Society. Nawab Iqbal Yar Jung bought this property in 1899 and registered yellow bungalow as a wakf property for the welfare of his family in 19-05-1902. Syed Muneeruddin inherited that property, and after his death his son and two daughters got rights over it. In 05-06-1970 they leased out that property to the A.P wakf board for a period of 60 years to utilize the building for the service of the community.
But later the persons to whom this property was given on rent by the wakf board started running theaters in the building which was located in the main area of the city. After this fact came to the notice of the Motawalli of that property, he registered a complaint with chief executive officer of the wakf board. The CEO wakf board had cancelled that agreement on 13th August 1999 due to the un-Islamic usage of the building and gave order to take possession of that property before 5th September 1999.
The order of the CEO was challenged in the A.P high court. After a long trial the high court dismissed the petition and upheld the orders of the chef executive officer of the Wakf board. But even after the orders of the high court no other steps were taken by the A.P wakf board to get wakf property vacated from cinema halls and get back its leasing rights.
The real problem lies with the shortage of employees in south India’s richest wakf board. The board has got just one surveyor and three law officers for the entire State. In the Hyderabad city alone, there are more than 1,500 Wakf tenants and the Board has just two persons to collect rent. Government has employed a single inspector in each district to perform the duties of collecting rent, attending court cases, issuing notices to encroachers and protecting the Wakf property.
Muslim Wakf Properties Protection Society has demanded the A.P wakf board to inspect all leased wakf properties in the state to check if they are being used against the shariat of Islam.