‘Waqf Board land sold illegally in 2016’

NEW DELHI: A part of land of the dargah of Naseeruddin Aulia in Chirag Delhi was illegally sold by some Delhi Waqf Board officials in 2016, a committee of the Delhi Assembly has alleged.

Headed by deputy speaker Rakhi Birla, the Delhi Assembly’s Questions and Reference committee tabled a report in the house on Tuesday, alleging corruption within the Waqf Board. As per the report, a part of land in the dargah was sold by a so called ‘khadim’ (caretaker) with the help of the section officer of the Waqf Board. Waqf Board property is non-transferable under the provisions of the Delhi Waqf Act.

The committee has recommended that the chief secretary be asked to initiate criminal and privilege proceedings against the section officer for not only acting in connivance of the khadims and purchaser in illegal sale of the dargah property , but also for giving “misleading”, “incorrect” and “manipulated” deposition during investigation of the case.

It also asked the chief secretary to submit an action taken report to the House through the Speaker within a month’s time. The report is yet to be adopted in the House as discussion on it will take place on Wednesday.

Last year, Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj had complained to the Speaker that the revenue department had “unsatisfactorily answered” the question when it was raised by him. The matter was referred to the Questions and Reference Committee.

The chief secretary has also been told to ensure that an FIR is registered by the police, the committee said.

The report comes at a time when the Delhi government has been up in arms against the Lieutenant Governor over re-constitution of the Waqf Board. The Board was dissolved by former L-G Najeeb Jung over charges of “irregularities” in 2016. Since then the seven-member board has not been constituted.