For the first time, muzrai and wakf properties will be surveyed by drones, a move the government says will result in better protection of these religious institutions from encroachments.
According to a government order, the drone survey will be carried out through the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC) for Waqf properties. Muzrai temples will be covered through the Revenue department as part of its ongoing property survey.
In fact, this was Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s Budget promise.
“One phase of waqf properties has been surveyed and the second phase is on. We will survey temples now,” Muzrai, Hajj & Waqf Minister Shashikala Jolle told DH. She said the government has sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore for the purpose.
Encroachment of waqf properties has been a touchy issue in Karnataka, which has 25,662 waqf institutions that own 47,387 properties. These include mosques, madrasas, dargahs, idgahs, khabrastans (cemeteries), ashurkhanas and shadi mahals. The encroachment of at least 4,543 waqf properties measuring 8,949.64 acres is pending adjudication.
“Several cases are pending all over the state. Earlier, the Waqf Board used to hold hearings at its headquarters. We have asked the board to hold divisional-level hearings,” Jolle said.
The government is also ‘flagging’ or ‘freezing’ waqf properties in the Stamps & Registration database. “Earlier, there were manual records that led to manipulation. Now that records are digitised, our properties will be flagged to say that once it is a waqf property, it will remain so always, they cannot be bought or sold in the sub-registrars’ offices,” Jolle explained.