This story is from March 14, 2016
chairman
of the Delhi Waqf Board. The post has been lyingvacant
for several months after former chairman Mateen Ahmad of Congress resigned before the Assembly elections. A few months later, Rana Parween Siddiqui, the Bar Association member of the Board, was elected as chairperson under contentious circumstances. After the AAP government came to power, it "superseded" the Delhi Waqf Board on 1 October 2015, transferring all its powers and duties to the secretary (revenue) for a period of six months. The order was challenged by Siddiqui in the high court. Khan said the powers have now been transferred back to the Board. "In the absence of a properly elected chairman, the Board had been left open to corruption. Now that there is a chairman, there is no problem," he said. Khan was elected during a meeting of the Board held at the divisional commissioner's office on Sunday. His name was proposed by Chaudhary Sharif while Ejaz Arshad Kasmi seconded the proposal after which he was elected unanimously. Sources said that other than Khan, Sharif and Kasmi, other Board members present included S M Ali and Shaqir Ali. Congress' Rajya Sabha MP and Board member Parvez Hashmi was not present. "My first task is to end corruption in the Board. We should have had a fund at our disposal and schools should have been functioning extremely well. However, the Board seems to have no money. We will have to rectify this situation, rationalise rents and remove encroachments. Around 990 Waqf properties in Delhi are encroached upon. I will ensure that these properties are developed and revenue is increased," he said. The Board has been embroiled in several land ownership issues with government agencies such as the DDA. He added he would ask all schools operating on Waqf land to ensure free education to at least 25% Muslim students.