Free wakf land from encroachers, demands Goriya-Moriya body

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Feb 16: The All Assam Goriya-Moriya Yuva-Chatra Parisad has demanded the State government for making the land of state Wakfs board. Goriya-Moriya Yuva-Chatra Parisad general secretary Mainul Haque in a statement said that the BJP before the election had promised that the land of Wakfs board in Assam, which is under encroachment, would be made free from encroachers but so far no steps have been taken by the government in this connection.

“So we have demanded the Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal to free the Wakfs land from encroachers. We have also demanded immediate implementation of the Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013,” Haque said.

Earlier Assam Board of Wakfs had alleged that powerful politicians, land mafia and businessmen were involved in a “massive scam” amounting to crores of rupees, leading to encroachment and misuse of over 15,800 bighas of Wakf property across the state.

The board, constituted to look after the movable and immovable Wakf properties and utilise the returns from them for welfare of the poor.

“The House committee constituted by the Assam Assembly had found that many Wakf properties have been illegally occupied or are being misused across the state. Of the 15,805 bighas of land, we have over 24 bighas of land in Fancy Bazar, which is the Northeast’s biggest trade centre and they are worth crores. There is a huge scam involving the property and a powerful racket of politicians, land mafia and businessmen are illegally occupying them. We demand a thorough inquiry into the entire scam to help us get back the properties, returns of which can be used for welfare of the poor and the needy,” Nekibur Zaman, chairman of the board had said.