The Telangana State Waqf Board (TSWB) has said that it has no further plans to allot land parcels for schools of the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS).
TSWB chairman Masiullah Khan said that allotment will now depend on the mansha-e-waqf (purpose of endowment) of the waqf institution for any allotment to be made. “Land was given to TMREIS on lease previously. However, if the mansha of an institution is to promote education or to set up educational institutions, then we can look into it. Having said that, in the last board meeting, no item related to TMREIS land allotment was on the agenda. At the moment, there are no plans for giving on lease waqf lands to TMREIS,” Mr Khan said.
During the previous board term, orders were issued for waqf land being given on lease to TMREIS at 24 locations across the State, including nine in and around Hyderabad. The allotment on lease had raised concerns with protection activists who had questioned the move and pointed out that there were other land parcel which TMREIS could request for the construction of its schools.
Meanwhile, the TSWB is still grappling with hundreds of cases pending in courts of law. It is also dealing with over 70% of waqf properties in its custody being encroached upon.
