Multiple families in Kattukollai village in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district have launched a protest after receiving notices declaring certain areas as Waqf property. The residents, who claim to have lived on the land for three generations, have submitted a petition to the Vellore District Collector seeking intervention.
The head of the local masjid, the Mutawalli responsible for administering Waqf properties, stated that the villagers were already aware of the Waqf ownership and that government records from 1954 list the land as Waqf property.
Approximately 150 families received notices from the Kilandai Masjid and the Hazarath Syed Ali Sultan Sha Dargah in Virinchipuram, claiming the land as Waqf. Hindu Munnani, a local organization, supported the villagers in filing a formal petition with the district administration.
Vellore District Collector V. R. Subbulaxmi confirmed receiving the petition and stated that an inquiry is underway.
One villager told ANI, “Our land is registered, we have paid water tax, but now we have received a notice saying it is Waqf property. Two hundred families have received notices.”
Praveen Kumar, a Hindu Munnani functionary, added, “People have lived in Kattukollai for four generations. They have paid tax and electricity bills. One person even applied for Patta, but the process was halted by the Jamaat’s intervention. Now electricity has been cut off for some residents after the Waqf claim.”
Kumar claimed that the Collector previously assured residents the land belonged to the government, not the Waqf.
Mutawalli Syed Sadam stated that the Waqf has documents from the Tamil Nadu government gazette dating back to 1954 that confirm the property is under Waqf ownership. He said the land was agricultural until the 1990s and accused villagers of encroachment, claiming they had already been informed about paying land rent to the Waqf.
Sadam said, “They themselves know the land belongs to the masjid. We’ve spoken to them. We told them they have to pay land rent, not building rent. I will be submitting all records to the state government and Waqf Board. My father submitted petitions in 1991 to stop illegal registrations, but no action was taken.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLA C. Saraswathi criticized the Waqf Board, alleging mismanagement and lack of documentation. “Only the rich benefit from the Waqf properties. There are no benefits for the poor,” she claimed.
In contrast, Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulana stated, “Once a Waqf, always a Waqf. If the Waqf has documentation, a minimal rental can be claimed, which will benefit the Waqf. If someone resides there, they must pay rent.”
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