The auction of the land belonging to the Mosque at Savina (Sector 12 & 9), which was supposed to be held on Tuesday, January 23, 2012 was eventually cancelled by the Urban Improvement Trust.

This decision to stop the auction was taken by the Chairman of the UIT, Roop Kumar Khurana after a memorandum from the members of the Anjum-e-Faizan-e-Millat committee and other prominent persons of the area was received by the UIT today January 23.

According to the Chairman of the committee Mohammad Shafeeq Bharti, the land for constructing the mosque was allotted by UIT in 1971, with prior permission of the chairman of the UIT then.

In 1991, a similar auction for the land was announced, and was eventually cancelled on the request of the committee; a repeat incident occurred the next year in 1992. Bharti also said that the construction work of the mosque has started with the work on the pillars having been completed. The plans for future construction are coming up and awaiting final confirmation. Mohammad Arif Hussain (head of the Youth Samiti, Savina) said, “The land of the main Mosque is the only land where all the religious gatherings, functions which include niyaaz, milad, and conferences were held. This piece of land holds a vital importance to the around 5,000 houses of the Muslims living in the area since ages’. Roop Kumar Khurana, after meeting with the members of the committee, and hearing out their arguments, considered their request and cancelled the auction for the land. Photos by Sayeed Ahmed