Amaravati, May 19 (IANS) Records about Waqf properties in Andhra Pradesh are set to be handed over to the state from Telangana, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The records are with the Waqf Board of the combined Andhra Pradesh, located in Telangana, and their transfer has been pending for more than a decade.

Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board Chairman Shaik Abdul Aziz said progress had been made towards resolving the long-pending issue regarding the records, which had remained stalled for 10 years.

He said the positive development came after the intervention of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Minority Welfare N.M.D. Farooq.

According to Abdul Aziz, the Waqf Board has also initiated measures to secure outstanding funds in addition to the records.

Following the bifurcation of the combined Andhra Pradesh in 2014, key records, files, survey forms, district-wise gazettes, copies of Board resolutions and other vital documents pertaining to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board had remained under the jurisdiction of the Telangana Waqf Board.

Although the Waqf Act, 1995, along with the bifurcation guidelines formulated by the Central Government, mandated the transfer of all records, asset details and associated funds relevant to Andhra Pradesh to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board, the process had failed to gain momentum over the last several years.

Abdul Aziz stated that upon assuming responsibilities as Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board Chairman, he treated the matter as a top priority. He said he personally met the Chairman of the Telangana Waqf Board and devoted special attention to the issue.

He further stated that he held multiple meetings with the Chief Executive Officer and other senior officials of the Telangana Waqf Board and actively pursued the matter through official correspondence.

According to Abdul Aziz, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Farooq took special cognisance of the issue. He said they not only intervened at the appropriate levels but also extended exceptional cooperation towards resolving the problem.

He noted that it was due to their intervention that rapid progress on the matter became possible.

Describing it as a welcome development, Abdul Aziz said that as a result of continuous follow-ups, high-level official discussions and administrative efforts, the Telangana government had finally issued orders through a memorandum to the Hyderabad District Collector to release the records room and hand it over to the Chief Executive Officer of the Telangana State Waqf Board.

He informed that the Telangana Waqf Board currently holds a total of 2,971 files, eight Survey Commissioner report books and three gazettes pertaining to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board.

He stated that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board would take custody of the records once the records room was vacated and the records handed over to the Telangana Chief Executive Officer.

He added that official teams had already been dispatched on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board to expedite the process of identifying, inventorying and taking custody of the records.

He emphasised that these crucial records are indispensable for the protection of Waqf properties, the management of legal cases, the verification of surveys and the uploading of details onto the Central Government’s UMEED portal.

He revealed that measures are currently underway to recover not only the records but also the outstanding cash balances, deposits and other financial assets due to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board.

He noted that the outstanding cash balances, deposits and other financial dues owed to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board amount to Rs 55.5 crore.

–IANS

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