Vijayapura: Old Gazette error led to Waqf land dispute, says M.B. Patil

Vijayapura: Minister M.B. Patil,  on Sunday, October 27, said that farmers from Honawad village in Vijayapura district have been issued a notice to vacate their ancestral land due to an error in an old gazette notification that mistakenly marked it under the Waqf Act.

Patil clarified that the Karnataka Waqf Board has no legitimate claim over the 1,200 acres of agricultural land in the village. “In 1974, a Gazette notification erroneously listed the village of Honawad. This land was originally a part of Mahal Bagh Survey Number,” explained Patil, who is the district-in-charge minister of Vijayapura.

In 1977, the Waqf Board corrected its records, clarifying that only 10 acres of land designated as a burial ground were classified under Waqf property. The remaining 1,200 acres, previously marked as Waqf land, are the rightful property of farmers. “Not an inch of the farmers’ land falls under Waqf property,” Patil asserted.

To resolve the issue, a meeting will be held involving officials from the district administration, revenue department, and Waqf Board. Patil also mentioned that the 10-acre burial ground is categorized as Panchayat land, with related matters pending review, and urged residents to await the outcome.

Residents of Honawad, frustrated by the notice claiming their land under Waqf, staged a protest in front of the Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday to draw attention to their plight.