RAIPUR: Amid the visit of a 10-member team from Centre to carry out the surveys of the Waqf properties in the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, the chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai in response to contention of his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee asserted that the laws passed by the Parliament remain applicable across the country.After the Waqf (Amendment) Bill became a law last week, a team from the ministry of minority affairs has been sent to Chhattisgarh to inspect the Waqf properties seen as charitable endowment rooted in Islamic laws, its status besides the issues related to dispute and encroachment.The team has initially covered districts of Dhamtari, Mahasamund and Raipur. They are mostly looking into Waqf properties, incorporating graveyards, various Idgah and dargah. “The team, during its survey, were seen marking the Waqf properties they visited as ‘Used’ or ‘Unused’, a senior officer privy to the matter told TNIE.“Chhattisgarh has Waqf properties worth over Rs 5000 crore. Since the creation of Chhattisgarh state in November 2000, neither a single land belonging to the tribal community has been taken as Waqf property nor has the state Waqf Board staked its claim or ownership on their premises or lands,” said Salim Raj, Chairman, Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board.
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