The AIMIM’s Karimnagar district unit has urged the Telangana government to take over waqf lands allegedly occupied illegally in the erstwhile Karimnagar district, while seeking inspections, administrative reviews and land allocation for burial grounds and Idgahs.
AIMIM district president Syed Ghulam Ahmad Hussain submitted a representation to Telangana minority welfare minister Mohammad Azharuddin at the minister’s residence in Hyderabad on Saturday. Hussain also urged the minister and the Waqf Board chairman to visit Karimnagar and inspect the lands alleged to be under illegal occupation.
The demand places the management and protection of waqf land within a wider local administration issue. Hussain sought government action on the alleged encroachments and asked that the matter be reviewed through meetings involving district collectors. The representation did not specify the total area of land allegedly occupied or identify individual occupants in the material reported by Deccan Chronicle.
Hussain also raised concerns about permissions for religious and community infrastructure in rural areas. He said sarpanches had refused permission to construct mosques, citing various reasons, and asked the minority welfare minister to address the issue through a review meeting with district collectors.
The representation called for land to be allocated for kabarsthans and Idgahs in towns, mandals and divisions with sizeable Muslim populations. Hussain said land had rarely been allocated for these facilities during the past two decades, apart from the initial years after Independence. The demand highlights the role of local land allocation and administrative permissions in providing space for community facilities as settlements expand.
The AIMIM leader also sought review meetings with officials every six months to assess the implementation of minority welfare schemes. He alleged that, despite substantial budget allocations for minority welfare, funds had largely remained on paper. According to his representation, schemes other than Gurukulam schools had not received adequate funding.
Hussain asked the government to release funds for scholarships, overseas education assistance and fee reimbursement, saying students pursuing higher studies were facing difficulties because of pending reimbursements. He also sought higher subsidy loans for community members and implementation of the driver-cum-owner scheme.
Other requests included providing two-wheelers to Muslim nomadic communities and artisans. Hussain said he had also submitted a representation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during the chief minister’s recent visit to Karimnagar.
The next stated steps are a proposed visit by the minority welfare minister and the Waqf Board chairman to inspect the alleged occupied lands, along with review meetings involving district collectors on permissions, welfare schemes and land requirements.
