LG unwilling to reconstitute Waqf Board: Amanatullah Khan
29 April 2018 4:39 AM IST
New Delhi: Reconstitution of the Delhi Waqf Board, which was dissolved in 2016 over allegations of corruption, is awaiting the Lieutenant Governor's approval, official sources said, while Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged that it seems LG Anil Baijal was not willing to reconstitute the body.
In October 2016, then LG Najeeb Jung dissolved the Delhi Waqf Board after two of its members resigned alleging corruption.
Jung had referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe into alleged "corruption" and procedural "irregularities" in the functioning of the board chaired by Khan, the legislator from Okhla.
"With the election of Himal Akhtar to the Board from Bar Council quota last month, the last hurdle in reconstitution of the body was cleared. Now, the LG's approval and notification to the elected and nominated members is awaited," a government source said.
"A file of members nominated by Delhi government on the Board is lying pending with the LG (Anil Baijal)," the source said.
Khan claimed that the issue was raised by the ruling AAP government, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the Budget session of the Assembly, but nothing happened. "It seems the LG does not want to reconstitute the board," he claimed.
The LG office has not yet responded to the allegations.
The elected members of the Board include Khan, former parliamentarian Parvez Hashmi, Chaudhary Sharif Ahmad and Himal Akhtar.
Three other members are nominated, including one scholar each from Shia and Sunni sects, a government official said.
In December last year, Baijal had directed the Revenue Department to probe allegations by BJP's Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta that the Delhi government was trying to 'reconstitute the Board in "utter violation" of the Waqf Act.'
The board is responsible for management of over 2,000 Waqf properties, including land parcels, residential buildings, shops and graveyards across the national Capital, and utilisation of revenue generated from these properties for welfare of Muslim community in Delhi.
Earlier, Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot had sought to know why the LG was not appointing the chairperson, despite the fact that all laid down procedures have been followed.
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