Stupor appears to have crept in the government run minority institutions. With all the corporations dealing with minority affairs remaining headless, there is practically no administrative control. No planning, no direction – just a patch work management is seen in the State Haj Committee, Urdu Academy, State Minorities Finance Corporation and Wakf Board.
Short shrift
In fact the minority welfare has got a short shrift after the death of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy. All the minority institutions are reeling under a severe fund crunch.
The State Minorities Finance Corporation is yet to get Rs. 80 crore towards scholarships and fee reimbursement for the year 2009-10.
The position in Urdu Academy is so bad that it had to scrap several schemes for want of funds. Projects like open schools, infrastructure to Urdu medium schools and computers to Deeni Madrasas are wound up.
There is simply no budget for these programmes. The Academy has to just remain content with non plan budget of Rs. 36 lakh. The financial position was so bad that staff salaries were held up for six months.
The situation in the cash-strapped Wakf Board is even worse.
Its annual grant has been drastically slashed from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh. Similarly, the annual grant of Rs. 10 lakh for payment of monthly maintenance to poor divorced Muslim women has not been released yet. Close to 200 applications are awaiting sanction and the number keeps increasing by the day. “But in the absence of budget we are not in a position to help the destitute women,” admits an official. The Haj Committee is worst hit with the pilgrim season having begun. The draw of lots for the Haj 2010 will take place in May and in the absence of a regular chairman handling things will be pretty difficult.
The government is likely to set up an adhoc committee like it did last year. But such a move is against the rules of Haj Committee Act, it is said.
The State Haj Committee and the Minorities Finance Corporation are without a chairman for last two years while the Urdu Academy is headless since August 2009. Ilyas Sait resigned form the chairmanship of the Wakf Board in December last but is asked to continue.
Can the minority affairs get any worse?
