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PMC demolishes illegal structure on waqf land in Pune
PMC anti-encroachment department demolished a 4,000 square feet ground plus one unauthorised structure in Pune that belonged to Alamgir Masjid Trust, a waqf registered Muslim endowment institution
The anti encroachment department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demolished a 4,000 square feet ground plus one building on Wednesday after Aurangabad member of parliament Imtiaz Jaleel tweeted pictures of an unauthorised structure which had come up on a portion of survey No. 55 waqf land spread over 46.04 acres belonging to Alamgir Masjid Trust, a waqf registered Muslim endowment institution.
Jaleel on August 21 tweeted to the PMC stating “Construction on Alamgir Masjid land on Kondhwa-Katraj road at survey No 55. This open daylight grabbing of waqf land needs to stop. Social workers in Pune should mobilise people and stop this .” (sic)
Former chief commissioner of income tax Akramul Jabbar Khan and social activist Saleem Mulla filed a complaint on August 25.
Yuvraj Deshmukh, superintending engineer at PMC building permission department said, “The waqf board has been following up the matter with us and accordingly action was taken and the building was demolished as it was an illegal construction.”
Pune regional waqf officer Khusro Khan said, “It was in illegal structure on waqf land and we had written to the PMC and police department for action. A request to lodge an FIR has also been made to the Kondhwa police in connection with the incident.”
On June 17, the Pune waqf board had lodged a case against eight persons for threatening waqf board officials in presence of police when the team had gone to erect sign boards across the area.
Former chief commissioner Khan said “We have been after the waqf board for removal of encroachment since November 2016. It is incumbent upon the board to remove illegal occupation of waqf properties and the power u/s 54 of the Wakf Act has to be exercised expeditiously . The delay in doing so creates multiple titles due to subsequent sales as it happened in this case - survey No .55 . Yet , notice u/s 54 is yet to be issued even after almost six years of our application . The demotion is on account of our keeping track of the activities on this land , informing the board members and interacting with the district revenue, police, municipal and registration authorities.”
Mulla said, “There are scores of encroachments on the land including mobile towers, hoardings and other commercial activities going on in the land. We have demanded removal of all encroachments on the land.”
