Hyderabad: Wakf properties' tenants continue to pay peanuts

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Wakf Board (TSWB) is beset with a host of problems, from land encroachments to a stagnant income through rentals of Wakf properties. Tenants of the Wakf properties across the State either do not pay rent at all or pay rents that have been fixed years ago. Wakf Board is also not able to evict the defaulters or enhance the rent to raise the revenues. Wakf activists raised the issue and urged the Board to change their decades-old system and revive the board for the upliftment of minorities.

According to official data, over 75 per cent of Wakf land in the State have been encroached upon. The TSWB is also dealing with a longstanding problem of stagnant rents. Now, the Wakf has control on over 20,000 acres, but hardly earns annual revenue of Rs 5 crore. The Wakf Board earns only a few lakh rupees as rent from the major Wakf properties while it is estimated that at the current rental value was in several crores.

While in case, the tenants of major Wakf properties only in Old city, Mecca Madina Aladin Wakf building and Nabikhana Moulvi Akbar are taking advantage and escape payment of rentals on par with the prevailing market value as demanded by the Wakf Board, the issue has not been solved for years. It provides commercial space to more than 800 businessmen to run their businesses. In Madina Complex, there are 540 shopkeepers while Nabi Khana Complex houses 299 shops and the board is facing hardships in collecting rents.

"A large number of tenants are defaulters and the rents are much lower than prevailing rates. The sub-tenants who lease commercial spaces from the original tenants with the Wakf Board are paying huge rents between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh and above, but the main tenant of the Wakf pay just Rs 5,000 a month while a few pay up to Rs 10,000," pointed out Asif Hussain Sohail, Wakf activist.

"Prominent community elders had endowed their properties to the Wakf Board so that the poor and destitute would be benefited. But the rich and middle class are enjoying the property without paying rent. The board has to take part in saving properties as they cancelled the properties located in Begumpet and Khairtabad which were not according to the Wakf acts," he added.

Moreover, several cases were also pending in various courts, the Wakf Board is not able to evict the defaulters. Now the Board has to re-appeal and utilise the records to enhance the revenue. "There should be a proper investigation about the rentals of Wakf properties. The rents have to be revived and improved and the defaulters must be evicted for the betterment of the minorities," said Mohammed Khairuddin, another activist.

HEIGHT OF APATHY…

Tenants of the Wakf properties across the State either do not pay rent at all or pay rents that have been fixed years ago

Wakf Board is also not able to evict the defaulters or enhance the rent to raise the revenues

Over 75 per cent of Wakf land in the State have been encroached upon

Wakf has control on over 20,000 acres