CHENNAI: Waqfs in four of 11 zones - Chennai, Trichy, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, and Tirunelveli - together owe Rs 3.29 crore to the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board.
The Prince of Arcot Endowments, administered by its muthawalli and member of the royal family
Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, owes the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board Rs 44 lakh in the last two years. The endowment, which runs mosques and maintains other properties in Chennai and Trichy, is now listed as the top defaulter of the board.
Waqf is an endowment or permanent dedication by a person professing Islam of any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by Muslim Law as religious, pious or charitable. Muthawalli or managers of these waqfs declare their incomes to the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board. It is mandatory for all waqfs to pay 7% of their income to the board. A large share of this money is used to help poor waqf reconstruct mosques, schools or build houses, and the remaining is used for running the board.
Inspection of files in the board under RTI showed that Muslim Jammath Pallivasal, Kottaipattinam, that owes Rs 19 lakh, is the second largest defaulter and Hazarath Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Aulla Dargah, Erwadi owes Rs 18 lakh and is the third biggest defaulter across waqfs.
"The board is in a shambles," said TN Wakf Board member and
Kadianallur legislator K A M
Muhammad Abubacker. "There is no one to verify whether the endowments are truthfully declaring their income because the board does not have adequate staff," Abubacker said.
Files accessed by TOI showed that in April 2018, Prince of Arcot Endowments had to pay the Board Rs 11 lakh, besides the Rs 18 lakh arrear. The total arrears with endowment in Chennai stands at Rs 29 lakh and the one at Trichy is Rs 15 lakh. Officials in the board said they had sent notices and reminders to the defaulters, but hasn't been able to recover the money.
Representative image
