Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 3, 2002
The judicial commission report on
the state wakf seam tabled in the West Bengal assembly on Monday showed
that the transfers, sales and corruption involving community properties
of the Muslims which began during the Congress rule increased "manifold"
under the Left Front rule.
According to the report, the number
of transfers of wakf properties sanctioned by the successive state wakf
boards in the form of sale, lease, tennacy, development or exchange was
159 during 1947-1977. This increased three-folds to 495 between 1978 and
1995 before the nominated board was superseded and election held for the
board under a new act.
The state government's action taken
report (ATR) which was tabled in the house along with the three-volume
report of Justice G.R Bhattacharjee commission expressed "serious concern"
over the the commission's observation on the board's sanctions in transfer,
sale or lease of wakf properties. The number of proposed transactions in
wakf properties "increased manifold" during 1986-95 'in comparison with
the earlier period of 39 years from 1947-1985', it said.
The report of the commission made
a mention of the grabbing or encroachment of wakf properties by "influential
political leaders" or musclemen close to them. The report revealed that
the post-partition mismanagement of huge wakf properties all over the state
made it more vulnerable to the politician-bureaucrat-promoter nexus who
had connived at with corrupt members of the nominated state wakf board
like Hamidul Huda and Asadur Rahman.
Numerous wakf properties at prime
locations in Kolkata were sold to 'developers'. Huda, now in police custody,
ruled the state wakf board between 1982 and 1996 while the rest of board
was relegated to a position of insignificance, said the report.
Among others, the commission noted
the role of prominent politicians like former wakf minister and CPM MP
Mehboob Zahedi and CPM leader Mohammed Nizamuddin in some questionable
moves by Huda. They, in their submissions, however, denied any wrongdoings
by the board.
While the commission pulled up the
board members and commissioners for failing in "their collective as well
as individual responsibility," the ATR maintained that such lapses and
failures were neither "deliberate" nor for "personal gain".
Minority affairs minister Mohammed
Salim maintained that the Left Front pioneered the moves to clear the mess
in the wakf management and promised more action to stop recurrence' of
similar scams. "We have shown our political will by arresting Huda. A survey
and valuation of the wakf properties have also been ordered . Now the Opposition
should help us to recover the sold properties."
However, Trinamul and Congress leaders
reiterated their demand for a CBI enquiry to expose what they called the
"CPM mentors" of Huda and his accomplices.