With 74% Waqf properties under encroachment, IIT-Delhi to survey using GPS, GPRS in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With 74% of waqf properties under encroachment, all Waqf Board properties in the state will now be surveyed by IIT-Delhi beginning this month. As part of the survey, the coordinates of the land parcels, boundaries, will be recorded with global positioning system (GPS) and GPRS. The exercise is being taken up to identify waqf properties with boundaries and also prevent further encroachments."A team of IIT-Delhi will come to Hyderabad on April 28 and is expected to begin the survey. A preparatory meeting was held by the Centre in Delhi on Feb 28 and Telangana Waqf Board had provided all the material pertaining to the waqf properties," Telangana Waqf Board chief executive officer Md Asadullah told TOI on Wednesday.Officials said the survey, which would be funded by the Centre, would cover 33,929 waqf properties with an extent of 77,538 acres. Of this, according to the Board, 57,423 properties were either partially or fully encroached upon by private people or institutions. IIT-Delhi would take up the survey of waqf properties with the help of waqf officers and revenue department and, if required, forest department as the Waqf Board has disputes with forest department in certain districts."The survey covers only 77,538 acres of agriculture land. The issue of non-agriculture properties, including shopping complexes and buildings, was raised during the preparatory meeting in Delhi. But the Centre said non-agriculture and urban properties should be dealt by the respective state govts," another official of Waqf Board said.The major challenge before the Board and IIT-Delhi is identification of the land parcels, as some were completely grabbed by private persons and structures have come up and boundaries have changed over the years. Earlier, IIT-Hyderabad had tried to take up the survey last year, but faced similar issues of mismatch of records and ground position.After the survey, the Board would write to the revenue department and collectors of the respective districts to mutate the waqf properties in the revenue records, now through Bhu Bharati, to stop further registrations and encroachments. "The Board has been writing letters to the revenue department for the past several years, including during Land Records Updation Programme (LRUP), to record waqf land on Dharani based on the waqf gazette notifications and survey conducted in 1954. But nothing has happened till date," Asadullah said.On the urban properties, the Board is now planning to ask the municipal authorities such as Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other municipalities, through the state govt, to mutate its urban properties in the name of waqf. For instance, though Waqf Board owns around 400 shops in Madina, the records show private persons as owners and need to be amended in the municipal records. The Waqf Board would try to protect its properties by making every possible effort, officials stated.