Alleging that several bighas of land belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB) have been usurped by deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed and imprisoned don Mukhtar Ansari, the board has written to CM Yogi Adityanath imploring him to intervene in the matter. According to a report by Live Hindustan, the board has written a letter to the UP government urging it to free the large swathes of their land and properties that are in possession of the mafias and their families.
The board, in its letter, has written that the henchmen of deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed are illegally occupying several bighas of land in Prayagraj’s Imambara Ghulam Haidar’s Chhoti Karbala aur Qabristan (graveyard). It further informed the government that the mutawalli (caretaker) of the Allal Aulad Waqf in the Saadatganj area in Uttar Pradesh has complained that out of the 10-12 bighas of Waqf land, several bighas have been illegally encroached upon. The mutawalli was quoted as also saying that Afshan Ansari, the wife of the mafia don Mukhtar Ansari is the director of the firm which got plotting done on these encroached lands through illegal registry.
The Shia Waqf Board officials also alleged that several letters were written to the local administration urging them to take action against those who have illegally grabbed portions of the Chhota Karbala land in Prayagraj but to no avail. This land is under the management committee nominated by the Shia Waqf Board.
Interestingly, Atiq Ahmed and his gang’s role in grabbing several plots belonging to the Sunni and Shia Waqf Board came to the fore following his death. The matter came to light when the Uttar Pradesh police were probing him for illegally-acquired wealth. It brought out some evidence indicating how the slain mafioso-turned-gangster usurped Waqf’s properties for commercial use.
The police had earlier, also filed an FIR against a close aide of Atiq for allegedly grabbing a Waqf property in the Chak locality on Zero Road in Prayagraj in 2016. Locals in Chakia alleged that a portion of the graveyard adjacent to Atiq’s partially demolished office was illegally grabbed by one of his relatives. The land is currently being used for selling construction materials.
Yogi Adityanath government builds houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana on land seized from mafia Atiq Ahmed
It may be recalled that recently, reports emerged indicating that the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh is building houses for the poor on the land seized from the mafia in the state. It has been started with the land in Prayagraj vacated from the possession of the deceased mafia Atiq Ahmed.
Verification of the applicants for 76 flats being built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana on land freed from the possession of mafia Atiq Ahmed in the Lukerganj area of Prayagraj has been completed by the district Urban Development Authorities (DUDA). As many as 6,030 people had applied online for the flats. Of these, 5127 people were found ineligible. 903 applicants are found eligible.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone of this project on December 26, 2021. Flats will be available to the poor here for only three and a half lakh rupees. The construction work on the 1731 square meters of land freed from the possession of mafia Atiq Ahmed in Lukarganj is going on at a fast pace and this building is being prepared with better quality and the best safety standards. It will also provide parking facilities for people, community halls and common areas.
