Karnataka Waqf Board to Erect Compound Walls to Safeguard Properties

Speaking at the Waqf Adalat program held for Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts on Wednesday, Minority Welfare, Waqf, and Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan said that green-colored compound walls would be erected to clearly identify these properties.

“There are 1.08 lakh acres of Waqf property in the state, of which 85,000 acres have been encroached upon. In Kalaburagi district alone, 3,610 acres out of 21,440 acres are under encroachment, while in Yadgir district, 123 acres out of 6,194 acres are encroached. This Waqf Adalat aims to recover these properties,” he stated.

Stressing the sacred nature of Waqf properties, Khan said, “These properties belong to Allah and must not be encroached upon.”

The minister highlighted that applications have been gathered over the past two weeks in preparation for the Waqf Adalat. From Kalaburagi, 368 applications were received, which included 100 cases of encroachment, 55 burial ground requests, and 213 concerning other issues. Yadgir district submitted 82 applications, including 38 encroachment cases, 33 burial ground requests, and 11 related to land approvals, khata updates, and survey- related issues.

Khan assured that these 450 applications would be addressed in discussions with district officials on Thursday, instructing them to resolve the matters within a month.

Khan announced that the Waqf Board is planning to provide housing for poor Muslims across every taluk in the state.

“A survey will be conducted to identify those most in need, and housing will be provided at affordable rents. This will generate revenue for the Waqf Board while supporting the community,” he added. Plans to build rental homes for Moulanas and Imams were also revealed.

To support healthcare for the Muslim community, the Waqf Board will allocate ambulances to each district at a cost of Rs 40 lakh per unit and provide freezers in every taluk for storing bodies prior to burial.