WAQF - Daily Headlines Today

Budshah Market Closed Accusing Wakf Board of Sealing Six Shops Illegally

HT Online Editor — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:07:19 +0530

SRINAGAR: Various markets in the city centre observed a shutdown on Thursday in protest against the sealing off six shops by the officials of Wakf Board.

Officials of the Wakf board sealed six shops in the Budshah market last night for not paying their rent to the board.

President of Budshah Market Firdous Ahmed said that men from the Wakf board came on Wednesday night when all shops were closed and sealed six shops in the complex.

He said a case on the rent issue is in the court and an interim order in favour of shopkeepers has been issued to deposit 50 percent of rent until the final decision is being taken.

Ahmed said the court has granted 15 days time to the wakf board for submitting their proposals yesterday during the hearing.

Firdous said whatever the court will decide they will accept that. He said the case is still in court and the court has not issued yet any order in any one favour.

"Sealing of shops is totally illegal," he said.

“We have closed all shops today to lodge a peaceful protest against the seizure of shops by the Wakf board”, the President said.

He also urged the Waqk board to have a look into the matter and de-seal the shops to allow the shopkeepers to run their business until court issues its order.

Ahmed said the former chairman of the Wakf board had signed an agreement with the shopkeepers in which it was accepted that 120 percent of rent be increased from 2018 and thereafter 5 percent more increase every year.

He said the shopkeepers were paying this much of the amount.

Firdous said in last year, Wakf board issued notice and increased 600 to 7000 percent rent adding that those shopkeepers who were paying monthly rent of Rs 2500 had to pay Rs 13500.

Meanwhile, Wakf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi said the Wakf board won't allow tenants of Wakf properties to keep going on without paying rent.

Andrabi said whenever rent is being increased to the tenants of Waqf board they resume protest.

“Waqf properties do not belong to Dr Darakshan Andrabi. This belongs to the people, she said and added if it runs like this during the next five years the name of Wakf board would not exist as these people (tenants) are occupying the shops without initiating any rent deeds”.

She said there is no rent deed or lease order in their favour and all had expired. The 11 month long rent deed has already expired. The properties belong to the wakf and will remain, she added.

Andrabi said “today those who are protesting are all illegal occupants and these six shopkeepers owe rent of 9,50,000 to Wakf Board and have to pay that amount. We are not going to allow them what they were doing in the past regimes' ', she warned.

She said those shopkeepers who could not afford to pay the rent should vacate the shops.

The wakf Board has increased the rent from Rs 500 to 5000, 700 to 7000 and 800 to 8000, she added. (UNI)

BJP Embracing Those Whom They Treated as Security Threat to India: Mehbooba

HT Online Editor — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 19:21:27 +0530

SRINAGAR: People Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at BJP for embracing those who were accused of being a security threat by the ruling party.

She said BJP was engaged in "dirty" politics after a leader of the party Darakhshan Andrabi who is the Chairperson J&K Waqf Board visited the residence of Islamic scholar Maulana Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri who was recently released on court orders.

“Religious leaders now released & felicitated by BJP after being slapped with PSA and were earlier accused of being a security threat by the ruling party. While they engage in dirty political games wonder what it will take to free other preachers accused of the same crime? Ishfaq Bukhari, Abdul Majid Dar, Manzoor Misbahi & Fayaz Shah continue to languish in jail,” Mufti posted on X.

On September 9, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court quashed detention of two religious clerics of Kashmir, Maulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi and Mushtaq Ahmed Veeri, who were under detention since last year. Dawoodi, a Barelvi scholar, is head of “Tehreek e Soutul Auliya” and Veeri, is a religious leader of Jamiat ahle Hadees (JaH) in Anantnag.

Darakhshan Andrabi posted on X that she visited the residence of Veeri.

“Visited the residence of Islamic Scholar & Eminent Preacher #MaulanaMushtaqAhmadVeeri Sahib and congratulated him personally. Our religious scholars are very precious for the society. Wished him good luck. I am overwhelmed by his affection and prayers for me,” she said, while posting two pictures with religious preacher.

PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukahri said "there is irony and then there is BJP."

“After arresting the religious scholars alleging them of being anti-nationals, the party felicitates them after being released through court orders,” he said. (UNI)

J&K Waqf Board Orders Re-designation of Posts of 323 Employees

HT Online Editor — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 17:21:02 +0530

SRINAGAR: The Waqf Board on Friday ordered re-designation of the posts of 323 employees, who have failed to submit a genuine 10th pass academic qualification certificate till date.

According to an order issued by Executive Magistrate Tehsildar, Ishtiyaq Mohi-ud-din, J&K Waqf Board, a copy of which lies with the news agency, Kashmir News Observer (KNO) the J&K Waqf Board has recruited, engaged several categories of employees over the years without prescribing well-defined criteria.

"Such employees have been randomly given designations like, Chowkidars, Sweepers, Peons, Orderlies, Tehveeldars, Bus Conductors, Malies, etc., and their services have only been utilized as per their designations," reads the order.

It reads that no fresh recruitments have been made after the constitution of the J&K Waqf Board in 2022, and a comprehensive exercise for rationalisation of postings is underway for proper utilization of Waqf resources.

"Simultaneously, a large-scale exercise for mass transfers of employees after decades of Stay Period is also being carried
out. The verification of Educational Qualification Certificates of all employees has been conducted by this office through the respective Recognised Issuing Authorities, and a number of certificates have proved not to be genuine, and necessary action has been initiated in this regard", it reads.

It added as a result, there is severe deficiency of staff at the lower levels in the Board, and certain important categories of employees, like, Sweepers and Chowkidars, are not available in the required numbers at Sub-Units.

"With the recent decision of the Board to disengage the over-age employees, and no fresh recruitments being made, this kind of staff deficiency has become more severe."

It further reads that the matter was placed before the competent authorities, and as desired, in order to overcome such deficiencies at the lower levels, sanction is hereby accorded to the re-designation of posts, of the enclosed list of 323 employees, that are functionally illiterate, or have failed to submit a genuine 10th pass academic qualification certificate till date, as Multi-Purpose Staff (MPS).

"The designation shall be used for all such categories of posts that do not require any technical or professional qualification. The services of all such employees shall be henceforth utilised to perform any kind of job that doesn't require any special skills."

It, however, clarified that re-designation shall not absolve any employee from any service related enquiry or irregularities of appointment amd promotion.

"Further, all the employees posted at Shrines, from the Administrator to the lowest level, are additionally designated as "Khaadim-e-Ziyarat", it said, adding that the administrators shall accordingly ensure that the entire staff carries a visible identity card all the time bearing this designation. (KNO)

31 WAQF Employees under Suspension for Dereliction of Duties, Orders Enquiry

HT Online Editor — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 22:57:53 +0530

SRINAGAR: Chairperson J&K Waqf Board, Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi today placed 31 Waqf employees under suspension for dereliction of duties at several shrines of District Srinagar. It has been learnt that several employees were found unauthorisedly absent when the chairperson carried out the surprise inspection, however, majority of the employees were suspended for their failure to maintain cleanliness at the shrines, mosques & in associated Sanitary Complexes/Ablution points. The action was taken after Dr Darakhshan visited the shrines of Makhdoom Sahab, Aasari Shareef Hazratbal, & Naqshband Sahib Srinagar. Tehsildar J&K Waqf Board has been directed to conduct an enquiry into the matter & submit report within 3 days to the Chairperson for further action.