EO appointed for Wakf Board polls

Hyderabad: The state government has appointed Hyderabad district collector and magistrate Manik Raj as Election Officer to conduct polls for electing members of the Telangana State Wakf Board.

The term of Asaduddin Owaisi, Mohammed Moazam Khan and M. Zakeer Hussain Javid as members of the Wakf Board ended on completion of the term of parliament, assembly and bar council that they represented. These members were not invited to attend the board meetings held during the current year because of confusion prevailing over their attendance at these meetings. Interestingly, all these members have been re-elected to the bodies that they represented.

Consequently, the CEO has addressed a letter to the Minorities Welfare Department seeking clarification over continuation of the said members.

Following this, Ajay Misra, Secretary of Minorities Welfare Department, has issued G. O. Ms No. 46 appointing the Hyderabad District Collector as Election Officer and S. Srinivas Reddy, Section Officer, Mir Mustaheed Ali, Assistant Section Officer of Minorities Welfare, and Mir Munawar Ali, Executive Officer, Wakf Board, as Assistant Election Officers. Sources in the Wakf Board said the District Collector may issue the election schedule within two to three days.

Meanwhile, when Mohammed Saleem, Chairman Wakf Board, was elected under section 14 (1) (b) (ii) being a Member of Legislative Council, a writ of quo warranto was filled before the High Court challenging his continuation as a member of the board as his term as a MLC ended by 29-03-2019.

However, his continuation as Chairman of the Wakf Board was upheld stating that the explanation in the Wakf Act is silent over the demission of his office.