Paucity of staff has hit the survey work for identification of Wakf properties in the State. With just two survey teams to cover both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States, the work is progressing at a slow pace. The Survey Commissioner of Wakf has sought more time and staff for speedy completion of the work. “We hope to finish the work by December 2015 and have asked the government to accord sanction,” said Mirza Hasan Ali Baig, Survey Commissioner.
The second Wakf survey has still to cover eight more districts – Guntur, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nizambad, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad (Telangana). The department has requested the government to allot at least five more teams so that the properties could be surveyed in just six months.
The office of the Survey Commissioner of Wakf is included in the tenth Schedule of A.P. Reorganisation Act and its bifurcation has not yet been done. Authorities expect the work to move fast if a survey commissioner is appointed for the residuary State of Andhra.
The second survey work, which commenced in September 2001, has so far identified 10,718 Wakf properties in 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh and 25,911 in four Telangana districts. The scrutiny of second survey report with regard to 15 districts is pending with the Wakf Board and once it is completed the government will notify the Wakfs in the official State gazette, it is said.
The first survey, which took 14 years to complete, notified a total of 38,529 Wakf institutions with attached properties to an extent of 1.45 lakh acres. This included 33,929 properties in Telangana and 4,600 in Andhra. As per Section 4 (6) of the Wakf Act (Amended) 2013 survey has to be carried out after every ten years to identify and notify newly created Wakf properties.
The department surveys Wakf institutions existing on ground such as Masjid, Dargah, Ashurkhana irrespective of its registration in Wakf records. Enquiry about attached properties, if any, is also conducted. “The whole thing is reconciled with revenue records,” Mr. Baig said.
