Chairperson of Waqf Development Committee and Member Central Waqf Council of Union Ministry of Minority Affairs Dr Darakhshan Andrabi completed her first leg of tour to the important shrines under J&K Waqf Board
In a statement, Andrabi said the tour was carried on the instructions of the Central Ministry to assess the state of affairs, management, funds utilization and development of shrines in J&K.
“I will continue my visits again after I submit report of the first phase to the Central Ministry today evening at Delhi. I visited some important shrines in Anantnag, Baramulla and Kupwara districts and met common people, administrators, employees, beneficiaries and others to assess the situation. I was very much disturbed to see poor condition of these shrines. Basic facilities are nowhere and the nazrana received at these shrines worth crores of rupees annually goes to the houses of some self-selected claimants,” she said.
Elaborating she said, “this is the autonomy which was protected by our political exploiters for seventy years.” Hitting out at the J&K Waqf management, Andrabi said “the body has failed to come up to the expectations of the people in managing our properties and assets related to our great sufis and spiritual personalities.”
“It was sad to see the assets and properties of Waqf worth crores of rupees either encroached or left in very disastrous conditions throughout the state. We need to fix the persons involved in destroying, misusing and looting our religious public properties. I will fight to the last to see that this body is restructured from the core. Those who allowed the Waqf Board to work as a unit of the political parties of the rulers in the past have to see the bad days soon. It is shameful on the part of all of us that we have allowed our spiritual centers to be disrespected this way. With the help of the general public, we hope to redefine the working of this management body soon,” she said. “I am hopeful that the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha will initiate the process soon keeping in view the public sentiment of the Muslim community of J&K,” she added.