Hyderabad: With the Telangana government announcing the new metro rail between Chandrayangutta and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), land grabbers from local mafias in and around Jalpally are now eyeing Waqf properties as prices of land have shot up.
There are Waqf properties running into several hundreds of acres in Jalpally, Mamidpally and Pahadi Shareef located in close proximity to the proposed metro rail line. Thanks to the project, land prices have gone up in the last few weeks itself.
Sources said an extent of 718 acre of land of Ashoorkhana Ali Saad and Dargah Hazrat Saif Nawaz Jung at Mamidipally located in Jalpally and Mamidpally is in danger. “The land mafia and encroachers are demarcating the Waqf properties and attempting to sell the land endowed with the TS Waqf Board. The land is shown in different survey numbers to cheat the people, revenue department and registration department officials,” said Mahboob Pasha, a local social activist.
As things stands, a chunk of the 2131 acres of land of Dargah Sharfuddin endowed with the TS Waqf Board has been grabbed and sold by the land mafia in Mamidipally and Pahadishareef. The Waqf Board has filed cases against the encroachers, but on the other hand encroachments are still going on with active support of local political leadership and criminals.
In the past three years, there were no major inspections by the higher officials of TS Waqf Board at Jalpally, Pahadishareef and Mamidpally areas because of which encroachers become emboldened, said leaders from the Muslim community who did not want to be named.
After the Telangana government proposed a metro rail line, prices of the land has risen dramatically in areas it is passing through. The land mafia will likely encroach and sell Waqf lands to make money at the cost of the community.
Activists from the Old City in Hyderabad also want the Telangana State Waqf Board to hand over some land to the government and ask them to construct double bedroom houses for the poor people of the community.
“People are overburdened with the high rents in the city. If government houses are constructed the community will benefit and economic conditions improve. The Waqf Board can think about constructing women’s/ girls hostels and education institutions,” suggested Minhaj Ahmed, a local social worker.
| 
