- विज्ञापन -
Amaravati: The Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has dissolved the State Waqf Board that was formed by the previous YSR Congress Party government. On Saturday, the Minorities Welfare Department issued a Government Order (GO) withdrawing the order made in October 2023, which had established the 11-member Waqf Board.
The previous government had set up the board following a High Court directive, with three members elected and the others nominated. However, a petition challenging the process led the Andhra Pradesh High Court to stay the election of the board’s chairperson on November 1, 2023.
The new GO issued on Saturday cited concerns raised by the Chief Executive Officer of the Waqf Board, including the prolonged non-functioning of the Board and pending writ petitions regarding the legality of the earlier GO. To resolve these issues and avoid an administrative vacuum, the government decided to withdraw the previous order.
Minorities Welfare Department Secretary Kati Harshvardhan stated that, after reviewing the High Court’s observations, the government decided to withdraw the order to ensure good governance, protect Waqf properties, and facilitate the proper functioning of the Waqf Board.
Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md. Farooq confirmed that the current coalition government had decided to revoke the previous government’s order after legal challenges were raised regarding the nomination process. Farooq emphasized that the government was committed to protecting Waqf properties and promoting minority welfare.
In September, the coalition government had appointed TDP leader Shaik Abdul Aziz as the new chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board. The dissolution of the previous board paves the way for the formation of a new board under Abdul Aziz’s leadership.
