A day after AP High Court ruled that over 1,600 acre of contentious land in Manikonda, on the city’s outskirts, belongs to the Wakf Board, the Board is keeping all options open. Trying on one hand to claim ownership, the Board is also not opposed to reaching an “amicable” solution with the government.
On Wednesday, AP Wakf Board chairman Syed Shah Ghulam Afzal Biyabani said he is yet to go through the court’s order but said he is confident of getting back rights over the land. He said the government’s plea was based only on the ‘errata’ issued through its notification in April 2006. He also pointed out that High Court directed the petitioners to settle the issue before Wakf Tribunal.
Asked about an amicable solution, Mr Biyabani said, “If the government proposes any other package to resolve the issue amicably, the Board will consult with religious leaders and the community’s political leaders. A decision will be taken subsequently.” A member of the Board close to the proceedings said in a similar situation earlier, when Wakf land was allotted for a power project in Visakhapatnam, the state government had settled the issue by paying compensation to the Board.
Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, leader of MIM, one of the parties in favour of Wakf Board, meanwhile urged the state government to immediately give ownership of the land in Manikonda to Wakf Board. About an amicable solution, Mr Owaisi said, “The MIM is not opposed to ongoing activities on the land, but the government should return title ownership to the Wakf Board by making the occupants ‘tenants’. Besides, Muslim youths should get over 25 per cent employment in companies operating from that particular land.”
Editor of Siasat Mr Zahid Ali Khan said besides giving back title ownership, the government should also return revenue generated by selling the land to the Wakf Board. Former Wakf board chairman Mohammed Saleem said like Manikonda, several other Wakf lands have also been given away, among them are the lands for the airport at Shamshabad and seaport in Visakhapatnam. Meanwhile, minority welfare minister Mohammed Ahamadullah expressed satisfaction over the order.