Ashoorkhanas' wait for funds gets longer

HYDERABAD: The AP State Wakf Board (APSWB) has received a slew of applications from mutawallies (caretakers) and management committees of various ashoorkhanas following minorities welfare minister Mohammed Ahmadulla's announcement of Rs 5 crore aid for the upkeep of these places of worship in the state.
On a recent visit to the ashoorkhanas in the city, coinciding with the Islamic month of Muharram, the minister attempted to infuse a fresh lease of life to these Shiite places of worship and announced the aid, promising that a government order (GO) earmarking the amount would be issued soon.
While the Wakf Board has already been swamped by 50 applications from mutawallies seeking urgent repairs to the places of worship, the GO has not been issued so far, prompting many to wonder if the ashoorkhanas would share the fate of Mecca Masjid which has been waiting three years for Rs 1.3 crore announced by the minister.
"When funds haven't reached Mecca Masjid, how can we expect money for ashoorkhanas to be released anytime soon? By the time the money is released, the ashoorkhanas would have collapsed. The minister makes announcements but many have not been honoured," said an APSWB member who did not wish to be named.
According to activists, funds are released for places of worship when a government-certified engineer draws up estimates after assessing damage. These are later submitted to the minorities welfare department (MWD) after which a letter of verification by a tehsildar or the district minorities welfare officer is submitted to the MWD. A government order is released once work has been approved.
"If ashoorkhanas in the city have collapsed, imagine the state of those in districts. An example is Bargah-e-Hazrat Abbas is Diwan Deodhi. Large portions have collapsed a few days ago. The case is the same with Badeshahi Ashoorkhana," said the member.
However, APSWB member Syed Altaf Hyder Razvi pointed out that neglect is not limited only to the structures. He pointed out that a prime land parcel in Begumpet endowed to Nala-e-Mubarak in Pathergatti was acquired twice by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), but the compensation has not yet come their way.
"Around 1,100 square yards of a little over 2,000 acres was once acquired in the late 90s and in 2006. We received a notice from Hyderabad Metro Rail recently saying that they wanted to take around 200 square yards," he informed.