Latur farmers need not panic over notices, assures Maharashtra Waqf Board chairman

A total of 103 farmers have received notices from tribunal after a man filed a petition claiming that their lands, measuring about 300 acres in total, were a Waqf property

Latur: Maharashtra State Waqf Board chairman Sameer Kazi on Wednesday met some of the farmers in Latur district who have got notices from the Waqf tribunal over the ownership of their lands, and said they had no reason to panic.

Contrary to the petitioner's claim, the lands in question were not listed in the board's gazette, he said.

A total of 103 farmers from Talegaon and 25 from Budhoda have received notices from the tribunal after a man filed a petition claiming that their lands, measuring about 300 acres in total, were a Waqf property.

Farmers said they were cultivating these lands for several generations. Farmers had no reason to panic, Kazi told PTI after visiting Budhoda village of Ausa tehsil. He was heading to Talegaon in Ahmedpur tehsil to address similar concerns, he said.

Kazi clarified that the Waqf Board had not issued any notices. The notices were sent by the Maharashtra State Waqf Tribunal in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in response to an individual's petition, he added.

"The Waqf Board is committed to ensuring justice. The lands in question are not registered in our gazette, and the matter is currently under legal review in the tribunal. Farmers should rest assured that their interests will be protected," he stated.