Page 329 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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of the best districts in the town. Now that this land has been sold, and is rapidly being built over, the
only area where the town can expand is on the land to the south of Awal Road which was leased for
15 years as a protected area to Cable and Wireless Limited. This ground has a larger acreage than
the Godhabia site and it is drier and more suitable for building upon. The Government has begun
to develop it by starting the construction of a Public Health Office and two large blocks of flats on the
south side of Awal Road. There seems to be no reason to suppose that Manamah will cease to expand
at the rate which it has been doing during recent years, if this assumption is correct in a very short
time it will be necessary to develop another residential area.

Rents of Government Land.—Rents of land collected during the year amounted to
Rs. 20,801, the rents were derived from 25 plots on long leases and 320 small plots, mostly occupied
by barastis, on monthly leases.

A portion of sea to the south of the Manamah-Muharraq Causeway was let on a 99 years’ lease
to Messrs. Gray Mackenzie for the purpose of building a slipway. The lease was to come into’operation
when confirmation arrived from London.

A plot of land on Daly Road was let on a 20 years’ lease to the Ahli Club, at a nominal rent,
the Club was given the option to buy the land at 12 annas a square foot.
Rents amounting to Rs. 44,215 were collected from tenants of 11 shops and one flat.

Court Cases.—Seven eases of rent assessment were dealt with, five of the cases were from
Manamah and two from Muharraq, 208 eases were referred to the Bahrain Courts for verification of
titles. The department dealt with the sale by auction of 20 properties.
Cleaning Springs.—The Department arranged the payment on a contract basis for the clean­
ing of Ain Gassari, at Bilad A1 Qadim. The money was paid in advance by the Government and
then recovered from the owners of the gardens which the spring irrigated in proportion to the leases
of the gardens. The cost of the work was Rs. 6,200. A similar arrangement was made in the ease
of Ain A1 Berni at Magaba which cost Rs. 2,028.

New Regulations.—A notice was published in the Government Gazette, No. 38 of Shaaban
1370, to the effect that minors of foreign parentage, bom in Bahrain, although regarded as Bahrain
subjects for all other purposes, would not be allowed to acquire property from Bahrain subjects
because on coming of age they would have the option of acquiring their parents’ nationality. This
action became necessary because it was found that foreigners, whose children were born in Bahrain,
who could not themselves buy property from Bahrain subjects, were purchasing property in the name
of their minor children.

WAQF DEPARTMENTS

Sunni Waqf Department.—Until 1370 the Sunni Waqf Department has been a " Depart­
ment ” in name only, it has in fact been run by the Sunni Qadhis who have retained the control and
administration of the Waqf properties in their own hands in spile of the existence of a committee
which was appointed by the Government to deal with Waqf properties in conjunction with the Qadhis.
During the first half of 1370 innumerable complaints were submitted to the Government by
persons receiving pay for performing religious duties, and by others, regarding the unsatisfactory
administration of the Sunni Waqfs. It became evident to the Government that as long as the situation
remained as it was, with all control in the hands of the Qadhis, no improvement in the administration
could be effected. The Qadhis claimed the sole right to deal with all Waqfs without question or any
form of interference. The public complained that the distribution of Waqf revenue was on an unfair
basis, that the officials in a few mosques received large and increasing incomes and those in the majority
of the mosques were paid next to nothing. There was particular criticism about the income of two