Notices issued to farmers over Waqf land will be withdrawn: H.K. Patil

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil on Monday said that the notices issued to farmers designating their land in Vijayapura district’s Honavada as Waqf properties will be withdrawn. “The government has no intention of converting agricultural land into Waqf property,” he said.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil on Monday said that the notices issued to farmers designating their land in Vijayapura district’s Honavada as Waqf properties will be withdrawn. “The government has no intention of converting agricultural land into Waqf property,” he said.

“Notices issued erroneously will be withdrawn. The jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner will conduct a probe on the error, after which appropriate action will be initiated against the guilty,” Mr. Patil told presspersons here.

Meanwhile, a group of three Ministers asserted on Monday that the Waqf Board has no intention of acquiring any land belonging to farmers, accusing the BJP of politicising the issue for electoral gains.

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.

Mr. 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 said, clarifying that only 11 acres belong to Waqf, and no eviction notices have been issued to farmers in in Honavada village.

Pointing out that the 1974 notification had erroneously 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. “Affected farmers can now present land records predating 1974 to the Assistant Commissioner, and any lands verified as legitimate will be denotified,” he said.

“There is no conflict between the government and farmers or between Waqf and farmers,” he said, attributing recent confusions to internal BJP rivalries between Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and B.Y. Vijayendra.