Skip to main content

Dawat-e-Iftar? Telengana minority budget funds ignore poorest of poor, underprivileged

By Dr Lubna Sarwath* 

In the court order dated 17.6.2017 in WP(PIL)143/2017 it is mentioned that 'Learned Additional Advocate General would also state that the expenditure for the dinner to be hosted by the State government in the LB Stadium would not be incurred from the funds earmarked in budget for Minority Welfare'.
In spite of such assurance incorporated in the High Court Order, the state government year after year allocated the state iftar from Minority Welfare funds.
In the two Public Interest Litigations WP(PIL)143/2017 and wp(pil) 142/2018, an appeal was made to the High Court at Hyderabad, that crores of public exchequer squandering of funds in the name of a religious affair, that too from 'Minority Welfare' budgeted funds, where neither minority nor welfare was the objective, be stopped.
Six years on the judiciary is yet to heed to our appeal.
In the order passed in 16.6.2017 in WP(PIL) 143/2017, the Chief Justice had ordered that as per the Government Order and as per the statement given by the Government in the Court, it has to be ensured that the food in Dawat-e-Iftar should go only to the 'poorest of poor', destitute women, orphans, widows, other poor, etc. Verification should be done by the government both while disbursing the food/clothes and also post-iftar by the government. The same to be submitted to the court.
But, it is observed in all the years from 2015 onwards till 2023 the recipients of the iftar were neither identified as per Order. They were neither 'poorest of poor' nor other categories mentioned above, as the attached pictures of and the story on the Dawat-e-Iftar of 2023, show.
In the name of secularism, corruption cannot be condoned. What goes on in the name of lavish iftars is not secularism, rather, it is nothing short of an urge to camouflage the injustice done to the very section of population in whose name funds are budgeted, but spent otherwise.
Apart from the splurge of food/fruits etc. there is no record of who gets the clothes pack, who got the tender to supply the clothes, why CM picture on pack when it is out of public funds? Who spent the Rs 1 lakh given to each of 815 masjid committees. What sort of a scheme is this and to fulfil what objective? From Minority Welfare budget funds with no welfare of Minority or any citizen absolutely.
It is expected that the High Court at Hyderabad takes cognizance of the contempt of its Order. The squander and corruption of funds should not just be stopped but the investigation and recovery of funds should be ordered.
At a time when employment recruitment is in a shambles, vacancies in numerous departments including critical are aplenty, housing and education for the more than 1,000 slums in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is a far cry, health and nutrition is not a concern, women security/empowerment is not top priority, Dawat-e-Iftar has become an occasion for timepass and keep masses sedated.
---
Petitioner in WP(PIL)143/2017 and WP(PIL)142/2018, joined by Talha Jabeen, Nikhat Fatima, Shameem Sultana, Amina Niloufer Hussain, Dr Jasveen Jairath, Sanghamitra Malik, and many other conscious citizens

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

How national chauvinism 'overtook' sport despite cricketing glory of World Cup 2023

By Harsh Thakor*  The recently-concluded cricket World Cup was a testimony or manifestation of the thrills, intensity, twists and turns in sport and evolution of the game of cricket. It carried on the trend of the World Cups of yesteryears. Possibly, this was the best ever Indian team in a World Cup, and arguably amongst the best ever to contest a World Cup.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.