Telangana waqf portal data show many properties are recent, not legacy assets
HYDERABAD: A significant share of waqf properties registered on the Union government’s Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (Umeed) portal in Telangana are not legacy assets but relatively recent religious establishments, officials of the Telangana Waqf Board said.
Nearly one-fourth of the properties uploaded so far fall under the category of waqf-by-user, largely comprising mosques and dargahs built on private or donated land over the past two to three decades. These properties were not listed as waqf assets earlier, officials said.
Data on the Umeed portal show that as of January 13, mutawallis had initiated registration for 50,900 properties. However, detailed document uploads were started in only 28,741 cases. Of these, around 12,500 properties were categorised as waqf-by-user.
Telangana ranks among the top five states nationally in terms of uploads or upload initiations on the portal. Uttar Pradesh leads the list, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka, with Telangana placed fourth.
Officials said that by December 6, 2025—the original deadline—mutawallis had begun uploading details of about 46,000 properties. After a court extended the deadline by three months, the pace slowed sharply, with only around 4,000 additional properties uploaded in the following month.
The verification process has also moved slowly. After documents are uploaded, waqf inspectors acting as “checkers” must verify them before forwarding files to the approver, usually the waqf board chief executive officer or an officer delegated with such powers. Of the nearly 28,000 properties uploaded so far, only about 8,900 have been verified by checkers, and just 4,900 have received final approval.
“Since many ‘makers’ (mutawallis) are not providing all supporting documents, about 3,100 properties were rejected and they were asked to submit more or relevant documents,” a senior waqf board official said.
With many properties dating back several decades and records poorly maintained, mutawallis are finding it difficult to trace documents. Some have urged the waqf board to assist them in procuring records, sources added.
