All steps taken to protect Waqf lands, Telangana tells HC

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government on Tuesday told the High Court that it was taking all necessary precautions to preserve the Waqf lands spread throughout the State from encroachment.Two PILs filed by Mohammed Ilyas and another were being heard by a bench comprising by Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice NV Sravan Kumar.

The PILs sought a direction to the Telangana government to issue rules and regulations to protect and maintain Muslim cemeteries, implement the recommendations of the House Committee on this issue, and take immediate precautions to prevent illegal encroachments on Waqf lands worth thousands of crores in the State.

While informing the Court about the steps taken by the State, Special Government Pleader (SGP) Harender Prasad furnished a status report stating that Waqf lands about 84 acres scattered across the State which were under the clutches of land-grabbers and encroachers were recovered between August 6, 2021 and February 15, 2022.

Another piece of Waqf property, measuring about two acres and located in Sy.No.415 Hasnaparthy, Warangal district, was also reclaimed, the SGP said.The Special Task Force created by the Waqf Board CEO is continually keeping a watch over the Waqf lands distributed across the State facing the risk of encroachment are being safeguarded not only in Hyderabad but also in the districts, the SGP said.