Shocking revelations are emerging from Kaushambi, a district that neighbors Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. It has come to light that the Waqf Board is involved in an illegal occupation of 93 hectares of 413 government lands in the district. They happen to be Government/Security lands that have the ‘GS Land’ label as indicated in their record books and were used to develop Eidgahs, cemeteries, Dargahs, and Karbalas by Waqf. Their existence has not gone down very well with citizens as people resent the gifting made by Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Samajwadi government when it is all about using Government/Security lands.
The illegal occupation of land by the Waqf Board has thrown light on the political practice of Muslim appeasement. Confirming the same, District Magistrate (DM) Madhusudan Hulgi mentioned that the Waqf has occupied 93 hectares of land over 413 government plots in Kaushambi. Structures constructed over these lands comprise religious sites such as Eidgahs, cemeteries, Dargahs, and Karbalas. The matter has been referred to the state government for further action and the administration awaits instructions for the appropriate measures.
The illegal occupation was found in three major tehsils of Kaushambi: Chail, Sirathu, and Manjhanpur. The largest occupation was found in Chail tehsil, with 44 hectares of land occupied. In Sirathu, 26 hectares and in Manjhanpur, 23.11 hectares were found to be under Waqf control. The Waqf Board’s properties in these areas consist of both Shia and Sunni Waqf assets. DM Hulgi has already sent the report to the state government, which is waiting for approval before taking the next course of actions.
This raises very vital questions from a political perspective about such illegal occupations. Was the previous government complicit and allowed such acts to appease a certain community? The finding also reveals the issue of poor land management and the absence of the protection of public properties.
According to the DM, though the Waqf Board claims the lands as their own, the government records are clear that these are GS lands. The district administration has formally written to the state government for clarification and will take further steps once the state provides instructions.
A survey and verification process was conducted in the three tehsils, revealing the extent of Waqf Board’s illegal occupation. Once the state government reviews the report, necessary actions, including the eviction of illegal occupants, will be taken.
