NAGAPATTINAM: Tamil Nadu Waqf Board handed over the administration of Nagore Dargah to its board of trustees after five years, on Wednesday. Hereditary seers and trustees took over the administration as per the Madras High Court's direction on April 6. The Waqf Board was temporarily in-charge of the administration since February when the court removed two administrators.
In February 2017, the court appointed an 'ad hoc Board of Administrators' comprising retired IAS officer K Allaudin and retired district judge SF Akbar to run the affairs of the dargah for four months following allegations of mismanagement and conflict. However, the court, based on a writ petition by the
administrators themselves, learnt in February 2022 that the two administrators had been abusing their position for five years. The court relieved the two of their duties and directed the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board to take over the administration.
The board handed over the administration to the trustees on Wednesday.
S Vaseer Ahamed Lebbai, Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, told TNIE, "The administration will now have a three-tier system of management. It will consist of a board of eight trustees, an advisory committee and a manager. Seven trustees will be hereditary and permanent. Four others will hold the office of the eighth trustee on a rotational basis of one year each. The board will
elect a managing trustee."
Syed Mohamed Kalifa Sahib, president of the dargah's advisory committee, and Jahabar Hussain, manager of the dargah, were present on the occasion on Wednesday.
Syed Mohamed Kalifa Sahib said, "The reappointment of trustees as administrators is significant as the advisors would always be present to immediately redress grievances related to internal issues. The trustees would also take up grievances with district administration, if necessary, and sort them out. The
trustees would manage redressal without any pay, unlike the earlier ad hoc board."