In a troubling development in Tamil Nadu, residents of Min Nagar in Kanchipuram district are expressing their frustration over a recent claim by the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board regarding 2.43 acres of land where Hindus have been living for over 40 years. The Kanchipuram Registrar’s Office has stated that the land belongs to the Waqf Board, leading to difficulties for the residents in registering their properties.
The land in question was originally purchased in 1982 by employees of the Kanchipuram Electric City Office, who acquired 6.13 acres in Konerikuppam, near the Kanchipuram Corporation. Over time, these residents built homes and settled there.
The issue specifically revolves around Survey No. 82, one of four survey numbers (82, 83/2, 85, and 89/2), where the residents are now facing obstacles in registering their deeds for the 2.43 acres. Shanthibai, one of the residents, attempted to sell her house at the Kanchipuram Registrar’s Office in October 2024 but was told that the Waqf Board claimed ownership of over 40 residential plots in Survey No. 82. The Registrar’s office informed her that she would need to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Waqf Board before proceeding with the sale.
Similarly, D. Munseeb from Min Nagar, who wanted to divide his property between his children, was also denied registration due to the land being labeled as Waqf Board property.
Srinivasan, the secretary of the Min Nagar Welfare Association, explained that the 2.43-acre plot in Survey No. 82 had originally been owned by Kanniyappan in 1944. The property was later auctioned by the Revenue Department to Vitobhasha, from whom the residents, mostly Hindus, purchased it as residential plots in 1982. The Revenue Department issued them pattas, and they have been paying property taxes ever since. Srinivasan emphasized that the Waqf Board’s objection is without documentation, and the Land Registry Department has previously confirmed that there were no encroachments on the land between 1967 and 1981.
He further called on the Waqf Board to provide any relevant documents to support its claim to the land. He also mentioned that more than 40 families are affected by this issue and that the residents have lodged complaints with the Collector, the District Registrar, and the Chief Minister’s Special Division, urging the government to intervene and resolve the matter.
A.T. Kandasamy, another resident of Min Nagar, shared his distress, recounting how he was informed by the Sub-Registrar’s office that his land could not be sold because it was allegedly owned by the Waqf Board. He expressed disbelief, asking how land where Hindus have lived for years could belong to the Waqf Board. Kandasamy, who had hoped to sell his house to cover wedding expenses, called the situation a source of great distress, as he is unable to sell the property due to the claim. He appealed to the government to take action and clarify the ownership of the land.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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