– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
Bengaluru: Amid protests by farmers in Vijayapura who have been served notices by Karnataka Board of Waqfs to vacate their ancestral land, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said the State government will review the situation.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, “We will review it. The State government and the revenue department will review it. A decision will be taken based on old records.”
When asked that the Waqf Board had set a deadline to vacate the land, the minister said that is not a problem.
Meanwhile, the farmers staged a demonstration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here.
Holding the land records and registered land deeds, the farmers alleged that they were served notice soon after Housing and Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan visited Vijayapura and directed the Deputy Commissioner to serve notices to the farmers who were sitting on Waqf land.
Farmer leaders alleged that without bringing the matter to their notice, the land records of farmers in Tenahalli village in Indi Taluk and Honavada village in Tikota Taluk were changed and made in favour of Waqf.
Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday said the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs has claimed its ownership over 1,500 acres of ancestral land of farmers in Honavada village.
Surya, who is also Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president, said the farmers of Honavada village in Tikota Taluk were served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property “with no evidence or explanation provided”.
Meanwhile, Industries Minister MB Patil on Saturday clarified that the confusion over 1,200 acres in Honavada being designated as Waqf property was due to an error in the gazette notification in 1974. This has now come about after the state government faced flak from irate farmers and the opposition BJP.
Patil, who is also Vijayapura district in-charge minister, said only 11 acres of the 1,200 acres is Waqf property. These 11 acres are in 10 survey numbers, and have a burial ground covering 10 acres and 14 guntas, with an Idgah, Masjid, and other structures on the remaining 24 guntas.
“All other land belongs to the farmers, as confirmed by the local Tahsildar and Deputy Commissioner,” Patil explained.
The gazette notifications on Waqf properties in Vijayapura district were issued in 1974, 1978 and 2016. Waqf property does exist in Mahalbagayata of Vijayapura; however, the name “Honavada” was mistakenly added in brackets after “Mahalbagayata” in the gazette, he said. BJP slams Congress over ‘appeasement policies’.
The Waqf Board acknowledged the mistake in the 1974 gazette, which was corrected in 1977 by removing “Honavada” from the records, Patil said. The Tahsildar and Deputy Commissioner have also confirmed that the confusion arose from the incorrect documentation.
“This error and its correction came to light recently. Only properties that meet Waqf criteria will be allocated as Waqf land. Farmers and private owners have no reason to worry,” the minister said. He will soon convene another meeting with officials.
Patil said after farmers brought it to his notice, he held a meeting on October 19 with officers and directed them to address the issue appropriately. Stating that no farmer-owned land would be taken as Waqf property, Patil also asked BJP leaders to refrain from politicising the matter.
