Hubballi: Amidst controversy over the Waqf Board issuing notices to farmers and others to clear encroachment, the BJP staging a protest, and the State government’s reservation to his visit, Jagadmabika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Wakf Amendment Bill, 2024, met with aggrieved people in Hubballi on Thursday.
Pal has blamed the State Administration for the entire controversy over whether agricultural lands, mutts (religious institutions), and temple lands can be converted into Waqf property. He, however, assured the delegations he met that their concerns would be reflected in the report to be submitted by the JPC to the Lok Sabha speaker.
Against the backdrop of the farmers, heads of religious places and Mutts from the various parts the region expressing concern over the change in ownership as Waqf without coming to their notice, JPC member Tejaswai Surja had pressed Pal to visit the State to understand the ground realities. However, the State government opposed his visit to the State and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khad termed his visit itself illegal.
Despite these developments, Pal went ahead with the visit and received representations from around 70 delegations, including Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Arvind Bellad. At the same time, MP Govind Karjol-headed fact-finding committee, constituted by the State BJP, to understand the severity of the issue, also submitted its report to the JPC chairman. The delegations also urged the chairman to find remedial measures for their problem in the committee report.
Later addressing the media, Pal questioned, “How agricultural lands, mutts, and temple lands can be converted into Waqf property, and how changes are being made in the land records and mutation in these cases within a month. It may not be possible without the cooperation of the State administration and officials”. He also raised concerns about how agricultural lands, temple assets, and lands with records spanning 500 to 1,000 years in this region of the State, are being declared as Waqf properties.
Stating that despite having all the revenue records such conversions are taking place. The JPC chairman said the state government had issued a statement clarifying that notices would be withdrawn. “The government may have directed revenue department officials to avoid problems caused to farmers, but whether this will resolve the problem of tampering in the records and mutation has been done, remains to be seen”, he pointed out.
Such complaints are being received from districts like Dharwad, Bidar, Gulbarga, and Shivamogga. Waqf property declarations are being made on ancient mutts and temples' lands to the tune of thousands of acres, he said and asked, “How is it possible for lands on which farmers have been cultivating since the 1920s or 1930s to be declared Waqf property. Also, direction given by the government to Revenue Department is temporary”.
Lands are being declared as Waqf properties without any documentation, and after tribunal rulings, the affected people were losing their property. This is a serious issue as farmers will face difficulties. The committee has already visited different parts of the country to gather information. On Friday the committee will be visiting areas like Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, he said, and added that the committee will submit its report to the government soon.
When asked about Minister Zameer Ahmad Khad terming his visit as illegal, the JPC chairman said, that as the situation was grave here, as informed by committee member Tejasvi Surya, he chose to visit the region and he also found the situation serious here. Also, the idea behind the visit was to gather information about for and opposite to the Waqf Amendment Bill, for which the full committee has been visiting the entire country.
“We are meeting everyone to gather complete information and details. This serious problem emerged in Karnataka just a month ago, and we will include all these details in our report”, he said. Waqf Amendment Bill JPC chairman visits Hubballi.