Source : DNA INDIA NEWS
Waqf is a non-governmental body that owns the largest number of land and properties in India.
The Narendra Modi-led government has passed a bill in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to change the existing Waqf rules. Waqf is a non-governmental body that owns the largest number of land and properties in India.
Among all states and cities, Hyderabad is known as the “Waqf capital” of India. It has around 77,000 Waqf properties, which is about 30% of the country’s total. These include historic places like the 400-year-old Mecca Masjid and commercial areas near Charminar that earn crores of rupees every year. Many of these lands were gifted by the Nizams of the Deccan.
Telangana’s Waqf Board is the wealthiest in the country. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh together hold about 1.2 lakh Waqf properties. Andhra Pradesh is home to sites like the 200-year-old Shahi Masjid in Kurnool and large farming lands in Kadapa and Anantapur. Telangana’s Waqf Board earns nearly Rs 500 crore each year from rent and donations.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of Waqf properties—1.5 lakh—but ranks second in total value. Notable places include Bada Imambara in Lucknow and lands near Kanpur, Meerut, and Moradabad.
Karnataka has over 30,000 Waqf properties, especially in Bengaluru, where a 2023 report revealed that 90% of these lands are illegally occupied. In West Bengal, key sites include historic mosques in Kolkata and land along the Hooghly river.
Major cities with valuable Waqf assets include Hyderabad, Delhi, Ajmer, and Mumbai.
Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid complex is worth over Rs 5,000 crore. Delhi’s Jama Masjid area is valued at Rs 3,000 crore. Ajmer’s Dargah receives over Rs 100 crore annually, while Mumbai’s Haji Ali sits on high-value coastal land.
SOURCE : DNA NEW
