Karnataka’s Housing, Waqf, and Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan has highlighted a major issue concerning encroachments on Waqf properties in the state, with over 4,100 cases registered across various districts. These properties, which include mosques, dargahs, kabristans, ashurkhanas, and idgahs, are meant for religious, educational, and social services but have been increasingly encroached upon, reported the Indian Express.
To address this crisis, the state government has allocated substantial financial aid for Waqf-related efforts, with a total of ₹528 crore granted over the past five years. The yearly breakdown of funds includes ₹125 crore in 2019-20, ₹87 crore in 2020-21, ₹96 crore in 2021-22, ₹93 crore in 2022-23, and ₹127 crore in 2023-24. Despite these allocations, the process of reclaiming encroached land has been slow. Out of 4,108 cases filed, only 371 acres have been successfully recovered.
The issue of Waqf land ownership has triggered legal battles, especially in cases where the Waqf Board has issued eviction notices to farmers claiming ownership of their ancestral lands. A significant controversy erupted in October 2024 when eviction notices were served to farmers in Honawad village, Vijayapura district, declaring nearly 1,500 acres as Waqf property. The government later acknowledged an error, confirming that only 11 acres belonged to the Waqf Board and assuring the withdrawal of wrongful notices.
In Vijayapura alone, 388 cases of Waqf encroachment have been filed, with only two resulting in successful evictions. Across the state, only eight cases linked to Waqf encroachments have been registered, and none have resulted in evictions. While 1,935 cases, approximately 47% of the total, have been disposed of, 2,173 cases remain pending with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or enquiry officer. Additionally, 76 cases are stuck in various courts, further delaying their resolution.
Kalaburagi leads the state in Waqf encroachment cases, with 562 reported instances, followed by Bengaluru Urban with 418, Vijayapura with 388, Bidar with 309, and Bellary with 274. Kalaburagi has made notable progress, resolving 394 out of 562 cases. Tumakuru has shown impressive efficiency, clearing 242 out of 284 cases, marking an 85% success rate. However, the backlog remains substantial, with 112 cases still pending at the Karnataka Waqf Tribunal (KWT). Vijayapura, Tumakuru, and Bidar are among the districts with the highest tribunal involvement.
Although 1,935 cases have been legally resolved, the actual enforcement of these orders remains low, with only 179 successfully executed. Meanwhile, 1,485 cases are awaiting enforcement action, particularly in Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, and Yadgir.
The mismanagement of Waqf properties has been a longstanding issue. A 2012 report by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission revealed that nearly 27,000 acres of Waqf land, valued at ₹2 lakh crore, had been misappropriated or illegally allocated, often involving collusion between politicians, board members, and real estate developers. This historical mismanagement has further complicated efforts to resolve the current encroachment crisis.
