BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Vijayapura district in-charge, MB Patil, clarified on Saturday that the confusion over 1,200 acres in Honavada, Tikota taluk of Vijayapura district, being designated as Waqf property was caused by a gazette error.
Addressing a press conference, Patil explained that only 11 acres of the 1,200 acres are Waqf property. This includes a burial ground spanning 10 acres and 14 guntas, with an Idgah, Masjid, and other structures on the remaining 24 guntas. “All other land belongs to farmers, as confirmed by the local Tahsildar and District Commissioner,” he said.
Patil elaborated that gazette notifications on Waqf properties in Vijayapura district were issued in 1974, 1978, and 2016. He noted that Waqf property does exist in Mahalbagayata, Vijayapura. However, the name “Honavada” was mistakenly added in brackets after “Mahalbagayata” in the gazette.
“When farmers raised this issue, I held a meeting on October 19 with the District Commissioner, Tahsildar, and other officials, instructing them to resolve the matter,” he added.
He urged BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and Basana Gowda Yatnal not to politicize the issue, assuring that no farmer-owned land would be reclassified as Waqf property.
“Honavada village, located in the Babaleshwara constituency, only has 11 acres across 10 survey numbers designated as Waqf property. The Waqf Board acknowledged the mistake in the 1974 gazette, which was corrected in 1977 by removing ‘Honavada’ from the record,” Patil explained.
The Tahsildar and District Commissioner confirmed that the confusion resulted from documentation errors.
“This issue only recently came to light. Going forward, only properties that meet Waqf criteria will be designated as Waqf land. Farmers and private owners have nothing to worry about, and I will soon convene another meeting with officials on this matter,” Patil concluded.
Earlier on Friday, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya alleged that Karnataka Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan directed the deputy commissioner and revenue officials to register lands in favour of the Waqf Board within 15 days. “
A congregation of farmers from Vijayapura met me and handed over voluminous documents concerning their properties and farmlands, which now the Waqf is claiming to be its own… Whether it is in the Mutation register or the revenue records, the names of the farmers and their families are mentioned. However, over the last few months, the Waqf Board in Karnataka has started claiming all of these lands… In Vijayapura district, the Waqf board is claiming more than 15,000 acres… Congress Minister in Karnataka, Zamir Ahmed Khan recently went on a tour of many districts in Karnataka and instructed the Deputy Commissioners and the revenue authorities to register these claims of the Waqf Board within 15 days. Without giving any notice, thousands of acres of land have been registered in the name of the Waqf Board. This entire problem is the creation of the Waqf Act, Congress in 1995 and 2013 gave powers to the Waqf Board,” he said.
Surya argued that this entire process is being executed in violation of the principles of natural justice, sidelining farmers while their land titles are being changed to the Waqf Board’s name in revenue records. “The Waqf board has also been given powers of removal of encroachment. I want to request all farmers of Karnataka if the Waqf Board is making such baseless claims about your land, my office is open to you 24/7… This December in the winter session of the Parliament the Modi government is going to correct these blunders and put a full stop to the atrocity and the unilateral powers of encroachment,” he added. (ANI)