'Our lands attached to Waqf board', claims K'taka's Yadgir farmers

Yadgir, Oct 29 (IANS) Amid the charges of 15,000 acres of farmers land in Karnataka's Vijayapura district taken away by the Waqf board, more than 20 farmers from the Yadgir district on Tuesday claimed that their agricultural lands are now claimed by the Waqf board.

The farmers urged the immediate intervention of the government to resolve the issue. Most of the farmers came to know about their lands claimed by the Waqf following the rejection by the Railway Department to provide them compensation. The Railway Department had acquired their land for the Wadi-Gadag railway lane.

When the farmers claimed compensation, the Railway Department rejected their demands and informed them that their land has been claimed by the Waqf.

The lands were acquired by the railways in 2020. However, more than 20 farmers from the village alleged that they were never issued notices or intimated regarding the claims of the Waqf board.

One of the owners whose land has been shown as the Waqf property stated that he had not been given notice by the Revenue Department or the Waqf board. However, the documents reveal that their land was shown as the Waqf property four years ago.

Another landowner said that his three acres of land were acquired by the Railways.

“I wanted to buy the agricultural land in the compensation money. Now, I have lost even the land which we tilled and earned our livelihood. The government should come to our help,” he said.

Another farmer said that the Waqf board and authorities are resorting to highhandedness. “We also questioned about the inclusion of our 1.18 acres of farmland, which is ancestral property, to the Wakf board. The Waqf board has planned to take away the compensation. We are facing ‘dadagiri’,” he said.

The farmers of Uppin Betageri village in Dharwad district are also facing similar issues regarding land ownership. “It has come to light that many farmers' lands were registered in the name of the Waqf board a few years ago, said another farmer.

The farmers who inherited the property are now aghast after seeing the records which claim that their land falls under the Waqf property in the "Other Rights and Liabilities" section of Record of Rights (11-E column).

In Survey Number 20 of Uppin Betageri village, 3 acres and 13 guntas of land jointly held by farmers Marabasappa and Shreeshail are being shown as the Waqf property. Similarly a half a dozen farmers are concerned over their land ownership being shown as Waqf property without their knowledge.

The farmers have submitted a written appeal along with supporting documents to the Tehsildar and Dharwad District Waqf authorities, but none have been able to resolve the issue. The farmers are made to shuttle between the tehsildar’s office and the Waqf board.

--IANS

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