MALAPPURAM: Even as the Munambam land dispute has been stirring a political storm in the state, the Kerala Waqf Board is turning its attention to Taliparamba, where efforts have begun to identify and reclaim waqf properties spread across some of the town’s most prominent areas. The said land reportedly houses government institutions, including municipal office, and commercial buildings.
As a first step, the board has begun collecting documents related to waqf properties allegedly encroached upon or occupied by private parties in Taliparamba. Waqf Board Chairman K S Hamza told TNIE that board members will soon visit Taliparamba to assess the situation on the ground. He said the board has decided to intervene in all disputed waqf land issues, including in Taliparamba, with the aim of reclaiming properties.
According to the board, nearly 634 acres of waqf land exist in Taliparamba.
Of these, the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust Muttawalli has registered around 400 acres on the UMEED portal. The Taliparamba Waqf Protection Committee said the documents related to the remaining land are yet to be recovered.
Waqf board members to visit Taliparamba in two weeks
The committee alleged that a significant portion of this land continues to be under the control of relatives of the first Taliparamba Jamaat Trust leadership.
“Hundreds of acres of waqf land in Manna, the heart of Taliparamba town, were distributed among relatives of the first Muttawalli of the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust. Commercial buildings have been constructed on these lands. Some portions were later sold to private individuals by falsely claiming that the properties were not waqf land,” a committee official alleged.
While drawing parallels with the Munambam controversy, the official, however, claimed that the nature of the issue in Taliparamba was different.
“In Munambam, a large section of the land is now occupied by non-Muslim communities who were misled into purchasing the properties. But in Taliparamba, those who once held leadership positions within the Jamaat itself distributed waqf land among relatives for personal gain,” the official said.
According to the committee, several prominent establishments, including the Taliparamba municipal office, Taliparamba Cooperative Hospital, and large parts of Syed Nagar, Farooq Nagar and Manna, including areas such as Andakala in Karimbathu and Sadhu Mutti, are situated on waqf land.
The committee also alleged that several waqf buildings and properties have been occupied by private individuals for decades while paying only nominal rent.
Meanwhile, Hamza said compared with Munambam, Taliparamba requires a different approach due to the presence of government institutions, leased properties and long-term rental arrangements on waqf land.
“There are also several irregularities associated with some other properties. Large portions were leased out to private individuals decades ago for very small amounts. Similarly, many waqf commercial buildings continue to be rented out for nominal rates. Also, there are properties now being claimed as privately owned,” Hamza told TNIE.
He said the board is preparing a detailed action plan by categorising the different types of disputes and ownership claims. “As an initial step, we have already collected documents related to Taliparamba. Within the next two weeks, we will visit the area directly to assess the situation,” he said.
