The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Despite being properties of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, the control of two important universities of J&K is still with the government.

Waqf Board has repeatedly reiterated that both these universities and their affiliated colleges are their properties and they will take control of them, but to date, both universities are being fully controlled and regulated by the government.

These two universities in question are the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) at Awantipora and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri.

Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, as per the news agency KNT, came into existence by an Act of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly called the Jammu & Kashmir Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Act No. XVI of 2002.

The University is nurtured by the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Council. Land and all other assistance for its creation were offered by the Waqf Board.

Data reveals that over 200-250 kanals of land on which IUST has been set up was donated by the Waqf Board. Besides land, Waqf also donated Rs 44 crore for the creation of this university at Awantipora.

Ironically, the government kept both universities out of the control of the J&K Waqf Board.

In response to a question under the Right to Information Act about the control of these two universities, the Waqf has maintained silence.

An official from the Waqf Board on condition of anonymity said that both these universities are Waqf properties but for reasons better known to the then J&K Government, the Waqf Board was kept out and even it has no representation in both the boards of these universities. He, however, said that sooner or later, Waqf will take control of these universities.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse

JAMMU — Over 1460 kanals of Wakf land have been encroached on by the general public in the Jammu region, reveals data procured under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

This land from Wakf Board Unit Jammu has been encroached on in different parts of the Jammu region including Bishnah, Akhnoor and RS Pura.

Encroachers including refugees from PoK have encroached over 616 kanals of land in Jammu, 729 kanals in Bishnah, 105 kanals in Akhnoor, and 8 kanals of land in RS Pura.

The general public has constructed shops and houses on the encroached land of Wakf while some are using it for agricultural purposes. Even open fields have been grabbed by locals.

Sikh community, as per the news agency KNT, has installed Nishan Sahib on the Wakf land comprising one kanal and 12 marlas (Khasra number 630) in Chand Nagar Jammu. Furthermore, at Chatha Gujuran, the Sikh community again has converted the Wakf land into a Gurudwara, reveals the data.

Some people have even sold the grabbed Wakf land to others. Even the Revenue Department has sold 11 kanals of Wakf land at Deeli Kunjwani to an unknown party. As per the data, the details of the encroacher are not known and the demarcation report is still unavailable.

Ex-servicemen League at Burn Jammu have encroached over 170 kanals of land. Locals at Gole Gujural have created a ‘Shamshan Ghat’ and paths on 17 kanals of encroached land.

The ironic part is that some encroachers have installed cell phone towers on the grabbed land and have been exacting rent from the telecommunication companies. Refugees have also been allotted Wakf land illegally.

As per the data, the Allen Solly showroom and Reebok shop at Gole Market Gandhi Nagar Jammu are also on the encroached Wakf land.

The application under the Right to Information Act was filed by social activist MM Shuja.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse