Telangana: Survey finds Wakf property missing

Hyderabad: The ongoing land survey detected irregularities in Wakf properties. It found that 10,169 Wakf properties totalling 33,997 acres across the state had ‘disappeared’ from revenue records.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ordered an inquiry and seizure of Wakf land records. As per government records, Wakf properties were to be 33,929 spread over 77,538 acres.

The government verified Wakf land records which revealed that there were just 32,596 properties over 77,607 acres.

The Wakf records were cross checked with ongoing survey results of the revenue department. The test survey found that there were only 22,427 properties with an extent of 43,610 acres.

Revenue officials appeared clueless about the shortfall of 10,169 properties and 33,997 acres.

Even out of the 33,929 properties with an extent of 77,538 acres as per Wakf records, only 32,596 spread over 77,607 acres had been notified in the Gazette. These properties notified had legal sanctity and officials were unable to explain why the remaining 1,333 properties were not notified in the Gazette. Wakf officials on the other hand claim that the balance properties were Kitabul-Auqaf ones.

Deputy chief minister and revenue minister Mohd Mahmood Ali said, “The balance 1,333 properties will be surveyed again to determine whether they fall under the Kitabul-Auqaf properties category. The Wakf records are being cross checked for this and

Wakf records will be updated accordingly based on the survey results. In any case, the government is very serious about irregularities in the Wakf board and mismanagement of land records. 

The survey revealed the large extent of Wakf land parcels which had ‘disappeared’ from revenue records were located in neighbouring districts of Hyderabad which commanded huge real estate value.