Only 11 acres Waqf property, farmers land absolutely safe: K’taka govt

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government clarified on Monday that only 11 acres of land are the Waqf property while the rest of the farmers' land is absolutely safe.

The government also clarified that the Waqf Board has no intention of acquiring any land belonging to farmers, accusing the BJP of politicising the issue for electoral gain.

In a joint press conference, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Vijayapura District In-charge Minister M.B. Patil emphasised that legitimate landowners need not fear losing their land.

Minister Krishna Byre Gowda explained that Vijayapura district originally had 14,201.32 acres designated as Waqf land. Over time, 11,835.29 acres were granted to farmers under the Land Reforms Act, and 1,459.26 acres were allotted under the Inam Abolishment Act.

An additional 137 acres were acquired for various projects, leaving 773 acres under Waqf institutions' control. He clarified that in Honavada village in Tikota taluk, which recently attracted attention, only 11 acres belong to Waqf, and no eviction notices have been issued to farmers.

Byre Gowda noted that the 1974 notification mistakenly listed "Honavada" in brackets following "Vijayapura Mahalbagayata," but this was corrected in a 1977 notification, resolving the issue.

However, he acknowledged that in Indi taluk, a Tahsildar updated the land records (in Column 11 of the Pahanis) for 41 properties without issuing prior notice, violating protocol.

He added that the affected farmers can now present land records predating 1974 to the Assistant Commissioner, and any lands verified as legitimate will be denotified.

"There is no conflict between the government and farmers or between Waqf and farmers," he said, attributing recent tensions to internal BJP rivalries between Basana Gowda Patil Yatnal and B.Y. Vijayendra.

Minister M.B. Patil added that a task force led by the District Commissioner has been formed to investigate the matter, with instructions to cross-reference Waqf and revenue records from 1964 to 1973 for accuracy.

He accused the BJP of stoking confusion to influence upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The district administration has been advised to cooperate with any BJP-led fact-finding missions and provide full transparency.

Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan emphasised: "We do not want any land owned by farmers. I am also the son of a farmer. Our goal is simply to update the Waqf land records. Only 11 acres in Honavada are Waqf property, contrary to claims of 1,200 acres. Beyond these 11 acres, the rest belongs to the farmers."

In Vijayapura, 1,345 acres of Waqf land have been encroached upon, none of which have been officially allotted to anyone. Of this total, around 26 acres are currently under legal dispute in court. The remaining 1,319 acres are in the unauthorized possession of individuals or institutions, and efforts are underway to address this issue.

"We are not seeking any other land in Vijayapura beyond these encroached properties," Zameer stated.

He also noted that Vijayapura MLA Basana Gowda Patil Yatnal was invited to attend the recent Waqf Adalat in Vijayapura but he was not present.

"Now, he is spreading misinformation and causing unnecessary confusion," Khan remarked.

IANS