The residents of Mohajirin camp recently requested the Minorities Welfare Department to waive the rental accruals of over ₹9 lakh. “We are not denying that we are tenants. But the residents here are very poor and cannot even pay ₹100 or ₹200 a month. Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi had come with us and had spoken to the secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department in this regard,” Shaik Qayoom, a resident, said. Mr. Owaisi is said to have requested for a full or partial waiver of the dues. Sources from the department, who did not wish to be identified, said the request was being ‘examined’. Explaining the issue, the source said, “The land is waqf. It has been endowed to the Mecca Masjid. The rentals are very low, but have accumulated over several years. One of the key issues is that the rent records were not maintained by the then Mecca Masjid superintendent which is why he was removed.”
Officials did not rule out the possibility of irregularities in rent collection that might have taken place in the past. They also said that the residents have alleged that the previous rent collectors did not give them rent receipts. “It was decided at the meeting that a rent collector be appointed. He should maintain proper records and take rent and provide receipts to the Mohajirin camp residents,” the source said.
Speaking to The Hindu , Minorities Welfare Department Secretary Syed Omer Jaleel said due process has to be followed before taking any decision. The waiver, if it falls through, would take time. “I am not in a position to say whether a full waiver is possible. I will first have to take a legal opinion. We are examining the request,” he said.
