Hyderabad: Ahead of Telangana assembly polls, works on several long-awaited projects were initiated on Saturday morning. The projects include the inauguration of a new complex of an orphanage, Anees-ul-Ghurba, approval of 7,000 applications submitted by imams and muezzins and laying foundation stone of the Haj House building at Nampally.
The inauguration event was attended by several political leaders such as AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, home minister Mahmood Ali, secretary of minorities department AK Khan, chairman of Telangana State Waqf Board, and Mohammed Masiullah Khan.
The home minister inaugurated the reconstructed orphanage building Anees-ul-Ghurba which involved a long-running legal dispute.
Speaking to Siasat.com, a Telangana state Waqf Board official said that Anees-ul-Ghurba orphanage, which has been built over 4500 square yards of land instead of its original 350 square yards, had received a Rs 20 crore funding authorisation from the State government.
Unpaid muezzins and imams
While giving information about the approval of imams and muezzins’ applications, the official said that the they were not registered with the Waqf Board, hence they were not entitled to monthly payments under the Waqf Board Act.
“Almost 7,000 muezzins and imams had submitted applications to the minority welfare department for a monthly honorarium. The matter was taken into consideration, now without registration they will receive a basic monthly salary and with the passage of time their payment will be increased,” the official said.
Haj House building
The state officials also laid a foundation stone of an under-construction Haj House building against which a stay order had been issued 12 years ago for its fragile basement.
The official further said that the experts had conducted soil testing in past where the Haj house building was to be built. However, the authorities advised to suspend the work after discovering a shaky basement for constructing a seven-floor building.
“The state government also allotted 23 crores of funds for the under-construction building of the haj house to strengthen its basement. The pending work will be proceeded now,” he added.
Anees-ul-Ghurba was freed from Endowment Department
While addressing people after the inauguration, Akbaruddin Owaisi stated that Anees-ul-Ghurba orphanage, which housed several unprivileged girls, was under the Endowment Department. “Mohammed Ahmadullah, former minister for minority welfare along with me made efforts to free the orphanage from the Endowment Department,” added the minister.
The reconstruction works of the Anees-ul-Ghurba which is the oldest orphanage in the city began in 2017 after a decade.
Anees-ul-Ghurba, founded by philanthropist Mir Khaja Badruddin Chishti in 1921, was governed by the Asaf Jahi dynasty’s ecclesiastical division. After the annexation of Hyderabad State into the Union of India, it was handed over to the Endowment Department.
Later, in 2009 state government issued an order instructing the transfer of its possession to the Waqf Board. The Waqf Board demolished the dilapidated orphanage to make way for a new building.
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