“For decades, regional political parties allowed illegal occupation of Waqf land but now their days of accountability have arrived”: Dr Andrabi

RAJOURI – J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi today paid a visit to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah Shrine at Shahdara Sharief in Rajouri. She inspected the campus and took stock of the facilities for pilgrims and also audited the accounts of the shrine. Dr Andrabi talked to different delegations of people, pilgrims visiting the shrine & also spoke to the district administration representatives separately. She also presided over the meeting of the Waqf Management of Rajouri district and took many decisions on spot for improving the working of the Board in the district. Dr Darakhshan Andrabi spoke to the media in the shrine complex and said that in the era of transformation, Waqf in J&K is on the path of correcting the errors of the past. “For decades, our politicians behaved like monarchs & distributed Waqf land & assets among their political workers who have encroached on the assets for decades. But now we have compiled the records and soon action against those illegal occupiers, encroachers will begin,” said the Waqf Board Chairperson. She said that J&K is the only place in the whole of India where a long lease of Waqf property has been given to political workers for residential purposes. “Illegality of highest order in Waqf Management in J&K for decades has resulted in huge loss to the assets, properties & funds of Waqf.  Axes will fall soon on the political exploiters who used Waqf as the fund-raising organization for their political parties. Under the Central Waqf Act which is applicable to J&K now, all earlier illegal autonomous decisions of J&K Auqaf stand cancelled automatically,” said Dr Darakhshan. She said that action against all those who are occupying Waqf properties on rent, having huge unpaid rent liabilities will face eviction soon. “Waqf properties are not free for all assets and nobody will be allowed to use these properties without paying for it. Public properties are not for personal gains of a privileged few at the cost of public losses,” said Dr Darakhshan. Waqf Board Chairperson said that public trust in Waqf Management will be restored at all costs.