Wakf Board takes five years to act on scam

Board ignored earlier warnings from minorities department

The TS Wakf Board recruitment scam, which is gradually coming to light, was reported to officials of the minorities welfare department at least five years ago. For reasons unknown, the officials failed to take any action.

Syed Omer Jaleel, special secretary of the minorities welfare department, admits that the issue was brought to the department’s notice before he assumed charge as its head. A memo was sent to the TS Wakf Board asking it to furnish the department with details of the persons who had been appointed without the government’s knowledge.

According to official sources, the Board did not respond to the memo on the grounds that it was an autonomous body constituted under the Wakf Act of 1954, and government officials did not bother to follow it up.

Abid Rasool Khan, former chairman of the TS minorities commission, says, “It shows how irresponsible the officials were in streamlining the functioning of the TS state Wakf Board despite several discrepancies.”

He adds that the recruitment methods adopted by the Board are questionable as no notifications were released and no tests were conducted to check the basic skill level of candidates.

Ather Moin, a Wakf activist, says that officials were reluctant to initiate action and terminate the services of persons appointed illegally because most of them were relatives of the existing employees.

“All the employees formed a union and wrestled with the officials over work-related issues, so no one bothered to initiate any action against them,” he says.

He adds that had the officials taken action five years ago, several lakhs of Wakf Board money would have been saved. “Can the Board recover the money now? The people against whom action is to be initiated will approach the court and it will begin a long legal battle,” he says.

Syed Omer Jaleel says that he has been following up with the Board since assuming charge. “The Wakf Board tried to explain that it had the right to appoint persons as it was an autonomous body. However a report containing details of these employees, their qualifications, work profiles, salaries and other perks has finally been prepared and submitted,” he says. Mohammed Saleem, the chairman of the TS Wakf Board, says that the illegal appointments were made when the Congress party was in power, and no persons have been appointed since the constitution of a new Board six months ago.

“No inquiry by the Vigilance Department will be ordered into the irregularities; it is a norm with the TS Wakf Board. If at all any inquiry is conducted, the recommendations will not be implemented out of fear of a political fallout. -OSMAN AL HAJRI, president, Deccan Wakf protection committee This is just the tip of the iceberg. The entire matter needs to be investigated. We had asked for a CBI enquiry into the functioning of the Board. Many more scams will be unearthed if the inquiry is ordered. -ABID RASOOL KHAN, former chairman of the Telangana state minorities commission