Bodhan MLA may head Wakf Board

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is all set to issue notification for constitution of a new Wakf Board. As word spread, hectic lobbying commenced for the posts of chairman and members. At the same time, allegations are flying thick against an ex-member and mutawalli who is back in the race following revoking of his suspension. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Mohd Ali Shabbir objected to the government decision to revoke suspension of Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini, mutawalli of the Dargah Hazrat Syed Shah Khamoosh, Nampally, last month.

“There are several charges pending against him including mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, sale of wakf properties etc. Why is government in such a hurry to revoke his suspension,” asked the Congress legislator. However, a government official said inquiry is still on. Interestingly, he was reinstated as mutawalli “without financial powers, pending finalisation of de novo inquiry,” being conducted by the Ranga Reddy district joint collector.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that Bodhan TRS legislator Mohd Shakil Aamir was tipped to be chairman while the MIM-TRS combine is all set to have a stranglehold on the board, which has huge properties some encroached but gets annual income of about Rs 6 crore. It is learnt that a file pertaining to the notification of the new 9- or 11-member Wakf Board was sent to the Chief Minister for approval and it is expected to be released any moment.

This will be the first Wakf Board of Telangana state after it was bifurcated two-and-a-half years ago. The main source of income is collection of Wakf fund, rents and leases, sale of marriage booklets, issue of certificates, hoardings etc. Wakf Board will have elected members from parliament, legislature, bar council and mutawalli or managing committees of mosque or other Wakf properties. Wakf Board chief executive officer Mohd Asadullah has begun preparation of electoral rolls, list of Muslim legislators and parliamentarians and mutawallis (managers) of Wakf institutions.