The State Wakf Board is facing a piquant situation in the absence of a special officer. Employees couldn’t draw their salaries on Tuesday as the signatures of the special officer, along with that of the chief executive officer Abdul Hameed, on the cheque is necessary for drawing money from the bank. The CEO is authorised to sign cheques only up to Rs. 1 lakh and beyond that only the special officer has the powers.
After the six-month term of Shaikh Mohd Iqbal as special officer ended on June 18, the Wakf Board has remained headless. Though the government posted an IFS officer Jalaluddin Akbar as the special officer, he is yet to take charge. The GO posting Mr. Akbar was issued in the name of the non-existent Telangana Wakf Board. Presently, the A.P. Wakf Board continues to serve both the States as it is not bifurcated yet. Because of this technical problem, Mr. Akbar has not assumed charge, it is said.
Meanwhile, employees are greatly upset at not getting their salaries for no fault of theirs. On Tuesday the CEO addressed a letter to the government explaining the problem and seeking a way out of the impasse. This required the approval of both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh secretaries of Minority Welfare Departments. The government might empower the CEO to draw salaries, it is said. There are 200 regular employees in the Wakf Board and of this 165 are in the head office here. Besides, there are some contract workers too.
Reforms go for a tossThis apart, many works which require sanction by the special officer have come to a grinding halt. The CEO, who has limited sanctioning power, is unable to take decisions. In fact, after Mr. Iqbal left things are back to square one at the Wakf Board. All the good practices and reforms which he had introduced have gone for a toss.
Not just this. Lobbyists are back in business. Files which were kept aside for review are reportedly back in circulation. Mr. Iqbal had kept a strict vigil on the movement of middlemen but now they are having a free run of the office, it is said.
Looks ‘acche din’ are over for the Wakf Board.
