Fill 406 vacant posts in minority dept: MLA to deputy CM Sunetra Pawar

Mumbai: Highlighting long-pending issues of the Muslim community, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has written to DCM Sunetra Pawar, urging her to fill 406 vacant posts in the Minority Development department that have remained unfilled for several years, thereby creating obstacles in the implementation of departmental schemes. Shaikh said that these vacancies should be filled immediately, the functioning of Minority Research and Training Institute should be accelerated, and the proposal for Urdu Ghar in Bhiwandi should be expedited, among other demands.

DCM Pawar has convened a meeting of Muslim MLAs on Monday regarding the implementation of a calling attention motion. This is the first meeting of Muslim legislators called by Pawar since she assumed charge of the Minority Development department.

Shaikh said that 406 posts in the department have remained vacant for years. “In addition, 36 newly created posts in the Minority Commissionerate and 85 posts in district offices have still not been filled. The Minority Research and Training Institute is yet to function smoothly. Although a proposal for Urdu Ghar in Bhiwandi has been submitted, work has not yet commenced. Also, the Urdu edition of ‘Lokrajya’ magazine shall be relaunched immediately,” Shaikh said.

Shaikh said the demand to relax the eligibility conditions for educational loans provided by Maulana Azad Financial Development Corporation has been pending for many years. “The Superintendent and the Executive Officer of Urdu Sahitya Academy have not been granted financial powers, and the renovation of the academy’s office is also pending. Additionally, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was assigned the task of conducting a socio-economic survey of Muslims, but even after four years, the project has not been initiated. All these pending matters are directly related to the development of the Muslim community and should be resolved without delay,” Shaikh remarked.

Shaikh said he would be unable to attend the meeting as it falls on his birthday and he has prior commitments in his constituency. In the letter to DCM Pawar, he requested that she carry forward and complete the unfinished work of the Minority Development Department, stating that the late Ajit Pawar had consistently tried to ensure justice for the department.