Shia Waqf Mulling Increased Revenue Earning Through Allotment of Targets

In a landmark proposal based on modern marketing methodology, Shia Waqf Board Advisory Committee has suggested allotment of targets to Waqf Inspectors so as to increase the revenue earning of the Board. This was informed by Zaheer Abbas Naqvi, the newly appointed CEO, who has taken over the responsibility after spending 27 years with the State Information Department.
Talking to The Hi Time Express, Naqvi elaborated on the urgent need for higher revenue earning to solve the problems afflicting the board. Rs. 20 lakh have been sanctioned by the State Government but the money is yet to arrive. Even when it would come, nearly all the money will get consumed in payment of salaries, overdue since several months.
Waqf Boards all over the country get 6 per cent of all income through Waqf properties. This income is used to run the Board expenses. This being an insignificant amount, the Board invariably falls short of money and has to remain dependent on State grants to run its expenses. Allotment of Targets to Inspectors would mean more income and hence less dependence on Government, says Naqvi.
Talking about the challenges facing the Board, Naqvi says that nearly all Waqf properties today are engulfed in controversies. There is encroachment and land-grabbing happening everywhere. Removing the unauthorized encroachments and appointing honest mutawallis (custodians) in stead is the biggest challenge that he would have to undertake, feels Naqvi.
There are mutawallis who have been identified as dishonest. Waqf Board will take report of Inspectors and also from the District Administration and initiate the process to remove them and take remedial action once the Board is satisfied about the veracity of complaints against them.
Pending salaries of employees is another area of concern for Naqvi. If the employees are not motivated, it is not possible to involve them in fruitful work. In order to make the Board self-sufficient, the Vikas Samiti of the Board has given another interesting proposal regarding development of Waqf properties located at strategic locations through builders. Proper utilization of these lands will not only stop encroachment but also enhance the revenue earning of these properties. After all, those who pledged these properties to Waqf wanted that money should keep coming for meeting their respective desired objectives, says Naqvi, and development of properties is also in larger interest of those cherished goals.

What ails UP Tourism?

A Dozen Mahanideshaks in Six years, and the Count May Go On…

Amitabh Kant, the man credited with Incredible India campaign has remained associated with the industry for at least a decade. No doubt, he could come out with such an incredible campaign as Incredible India due to his long association and consequent experience that he gained within the union tourism industry.
Ashwini Lohani, has served at least three departments related with the tourism industry from 1997 onwards. This included a large stay with MP Tourism and another assignment with the Railways' Tourism Department.
Tourism developments in several states like Kerala have become nearly synonymous with bureaucrats who headed the department for a longtime and guided the state to develop its infrastructure and tourism potential.
UKS Chauhan, a bureaucrat hailing from UP itself, has several years of experience in tourism, though mostly in other states. When he did come to head UP Tourism on deputation, his stint was short lived.
The case in UP is entirely different! The state has seen 12 Mahanideshaks since the beginning of this Millennium six years ago. And nobody knows when another Mahanideshak succumbs to the whims of their political bosses.
Alok Kumar Jain headed the department for close to three years, from 13th June 94 till 7th April 97. This was followed by another competent officer, Ravindra Singh, who too was at the helm for close to three years, from 8th April 97 till 2nd February, 2000. Then started a game of musical chairs, that has already brought 12 Mahanideshaks to the chair till now. These include senior IAS officers like DD Verma (3rd February, 2000 till 13th September, 2001), Karnail Singh (22nd September, 2001 till 20th August,> 2002), Anuj Kumar Bishnoi (3rd September, 2002 till 3rd January, 2003), Rohit Nandan (4th January, 2003 till 24th January, 2003), Mukul Singhal (25th January, 2003 till 12th October, 2003), Neeraj Gupta (13th October, 2003 till 13th July, 2004), Zohra Chatterjee (20th July, 2004 till 12th December, 2004), Rita Sinha (13th December, 2004 till 7th March, 2005), Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma (8th March, 2005 till 25th May, 2005), Aradhna Shukla (18th June, 2005 till 18th September, 2005), Rita Sinha (19th September, 2005 till 2nd March, 2006) and the present Mahanideshak Dr. Om Prakash (from 3rd March, 2006 till date).
This should be noted that all these are senior IAS officers and most of them have already shown their competency in other areas where posted. If no time is given to them to settle down, how could they be expected to deliver? In spite of this, there have been officers who left their mark within a short span of time. Zohra Chatterjee oversaw the smooth functioning of Taj Mahotsava at Agra. Employees within the department remember Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma till this date for his attempts to bring about transformation in the working of the department. This itself, perhaps became the reason for his quick transfer out of the department and he could not even complete three months in office. Rita Sinha became the officiating Mahanideshak twice, for three months and six months respectively. The present incumbent Dr. Om Prakash too has taken certain bold steps to initiate the process of development but it remains to be seen how long a stint is he given by his political bosses.
The question needs to be asked from the political bosses! What were the reasons that compelled need for such a large retinue of officers to be posted, one after another? Does it spells these officers' incompatibility to work in tandem with the political bosses or more serious issues involving keeping control over the state of affairs?