Govt forms wakf appellate tribunal

Speaking to The Indian Express, State Law and Justice Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja said the tribunal will handle cases pertaining to appeals against the wakf board decision. Wakf board chairman Abdullah Ibrahim Saiyed, a former IPS official, said the tribunal will have its office in Block-I of the Old Secretariat in Gandhinagar. “Once the infrastructure for the office is in place, the tribunal will formally begin functioning,” he said.

Appeals against the board decisions are currently heard by Saiyed, because the wakf board chairman is also the appellate authority in the absence of a tribunal. This put complainants in an awkward situation, as they have to file appeals in the court of the same authority whose decisions they are challenging. “It is impossible to get justice because the same authority cannot give two different orders in the same case; one in capacity as chairman of the board and another as appellate authority,” said a board official. According to sources, there are complaints from dozens of trusts all over the state with regard to trustees having been changed allegedly without previous trustees being given notice. “Such complainants can now approach the tribunal and appeal against the decisions of the board,” said the official.

BJP Minority Morcha president Sufi Sant Mehboobali Bawa, who is also Gujarat Minorities Finance and Development Corporation chairman, said the appointment of the tribunal was long overdue. “I hope it will provide justice and sort out grievances of the complainants,” said Bawa.