Rs 10 Crore Annual Grant to Maharashtra Waqf Board Draws Scrutiny; Task Force Seeks Audit
Pune, 15th September 2026: The Waqf Task Force has demanded an independent and comprehensive audit of the financial transactions and functioning of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board, alleging irregularities in the use of government funds and appointments made by the Board.
Pune-based Waqf Task Force national president Salim Mulla made the allegations at a press conference in Pune and said a demand for a detailed audit had been submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ensure transparency and accountability in the Board’s functioning.
The press conference was attended by Mulla, former Nanded corporator Maqsood Gondawale and Mohammed Khamrul Iman Khan, editor of Dainik Sangharsh, Beed. The speakers said they had independently raised questions concerning Waqf properties, administration, financial transactions, Inami land and the Board’s decision-making process.
Mulla claimed that the State Government had sanctioned Rs 4 crore in 2017 for a second survey of Waqf properties, following a directive issued in 2016 to protect Waqf lands and properties. According to him, around 90 per cent of the sanctioned amount was spent in Pune and Parbhani districts.
He also alleged that the Waqf Board had appointed Saga Legal Firm for legal work at an expenditure of around Rs 2.5 crore annually. Mulla questioned the expenditure and alleged that the firm had not undertaken substantial work commensurate with the amount being spent. These claims could not be independently verified.
Mulla further alleged that temporary employees who had worked with the Board for five to six years were relieved from service under pressure and that relatives of influential persons were subsequently appointed. He also alleged the involvement of certain officials from the Revenue Department and other departments. No documentary evidence supporting these allegations was presented at the press conference.
The speakers also referred to the State Government’s annual grant of Rs 10 crore for the restructuring and expansion of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board. The funds are intended for establishing district-level Waqf Board offices and meeting other administrative requirements. Mulla welcomed the government’s decision to make the funds available while calling for greater scrutiny of their utilisation.
The participants said that claims concerning the performance of present and former Waqf Board administrations should be assessed through official documents, financial records, administrative orders and the actual implementation and impact of decisions rather than publicity or political claims.
They said claims regarding transparency and efficiency by the present Board should be examined against official records and documentary evidence. They also appealed to officials and other stakeholders to provide documents and supporting evidence if they believe the allegations raised at the press conference are incorrect.
The demand for an independent audit, according to the speakers, is intended to establish accountability and transparency and ensure proper utilisation of government funds in the functioning of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board.
