The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government’s move to allow tracts of land held by religious places to be given away for public and private use in Marathwada could face strong opposition from the trustees. The lands granted to religious places, including temples, mosques, dargahs and gurudwara, were so far protected under the Hyderabad Atiya Inquiries Act, 1952.
The state has proposed to amend the Act through ordinance, after its attempt to pass the bill in the budget session failed last month. Marathwada was part of the princely state of Hyderabad ruled by Nizam of Hyderabad and its former rulers have granted large tracts of lands to devasthans across communities, so they could take care of their daily expenses by using the plots.
The plots that were given to mosques are called Khidmatmash Inami lands in the government records. The amendment will allow all Khidmatmash Inami plots to be used for public projects, as well as medical and educational purposes. According to Congress legislator and former minority affairs minister Arif Naseem Khan, such plots are treated as properties protected under the Wakf Act, 1995, which cannot be overruled by any other legislation.