6,000 Imams in Telangana to get honorarium

Wakf Board to inform State govt and consider pending application

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Wakf Board will soon be sanctioning an honorarium of Rs 5,000 to another 6,000 Imam and Muezzin in the State.

The applications were received over a period of time from Imam’s (who led the prayers) and Muezzin (who make prayer call) from across the State in last couple of years. Several religious scholars and public representatives are demanding the TS Wakf Board clear the pending applications and sanction the honorarium.

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Mohd Saleem, Chairman, TS Wakf Board, said the Board will inform the State government and consider the pending applications.

“We already are paying Rs 5,000 honorarium a month to 10,000 Imam and Muezzin from across the Telangana. Over a period of time, another 6,000 fresh applications were submitted and we will consider them,” said Mohd Saleem. He said that few years ago, the TS Wakf Board had cleared a few thousand applications taking the number of beneficiaries to 10,000. “The amount was hiked from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 a month. Basing on the budget accorded for the scheme, we are clearing the applications,” Mohd Saleem said.
The TS Wakf Board directly deposits the amount in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries so as to avoid any corrupt practices. Nevertheless, there are complaints that the Board is delaying the disbursement of the monthly honorarium at times.

“Sometimes, there is delay of a few months due to administrative problems. But all the 10,000 beneficiaries are receiving the amount from the board. In no other State in the country such a big amount is paid to the Imam and Muezzin,” added Mohd Saleem.

‘Mosques, graveyards should not be disturbed’

A meeting of TS Wakf Board officials with the administration of Ranga Reddy district was held here on Thursday.

During the meeting, the Wakf Board officials discussed about the road widening works on the National Highway 65 at Shamshabad stretch. The officials informed the district revenue authorities and other department officials that there were mosques and graveyards on the stretch and they should not be disturbed.

Mohd Saleem, Chairman, Telangana State Wakf Board said that there were several Wakf properties on the stretch and the authorities should be careful while dealing with mosques and graveyards. “A Wakf property is always a Wakf property and cannot be altered or its status changed in the records,” he said.