Legislator Raees Sheikh says the Muslim community is suffering due to inaction, insufficient budget, and the refusal of officers to join the Minority Development Department
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI — A serious issue of government apathy has come to light in Maharashtra, where more than 67% of sanctioned posts in the Minority Development Department remain vacant. Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Sheikh has raised strong objections to the situation and has written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, demanding urgent steps to fill the vacant posts. He warned that if action is not taken soon, the department will collapse further, and the Muslim community will be pushed even more to the margins.
In his letter, Raees Sheikh said, “There are 609 sanctioned posts across various institutions under the Minority Department, but only 198 have been filled. This means 410 posts — a shocking 67% — are lying vacant.”
The vacant posts are spread across the Minority Commissionerate, Research and Training Institute, Minorities Commission, Waqf Board, Maulana Azad Corporation, and several other allied bodies. He said that due to this massive staff shortage, schemes meant for minority welfare are not being implemented properly, and the department has become practically useless. “The department is paralysed. Officers do not want to work in the Minority Department. Even when there are posts, they are not being filled. This clearly shows the government does not care about minorities,” Raees Sheikh was quoted by the media as saying.
The Muslim population in Maharashtra stands at 11.54%, yet they remain behind in education and employment. Raees Sheikh stressed that strong implementation of state and central schemes is needed to uplift the community. Instead, the community faces deliberate neglect, he alleged. “Just making decisions on paper is not enough. The government must also implement them. Muslims are losing faith in the system,” Sheikh added.
The numbers speak for themselves:
• Ministerial level: 23 out of 63 posts vacant
• Minority Commissionerate: 31 out of 36 vacant
• District Minority Cells: All 85 posts vacant
• Research and Training Institute: All 11 posts are vacant
• Minorities Commission: All 11 posts vacant
• Maulana Azad Development Corporation: 112 out of 157 vacant
• Waqf Board: 90 out of 179 vacant
• Waqf Tribunal: 24 out of 34 vacant
• Hajj Committee: 8 out of 11 vacant
• Punjabi Sahitya Academy: All 4 vacant
• Jain Minority Corporation: All 15 posts vacant
“The Minority Commissionerate and Research Institute were set up on the lines of BARTI and SARTHI. These were Ajit Pawar’s own ideas, but even those institutions are now struggling due to a lack of staff,” Sheikh pointed out.
He accused the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government of deliberately ignoring the department. “This government is ignoring Muslims. They talk about minorities only in speeches, not in action. The budget is too small and the manpower is missing. How will our people benefit?”
When asked why officers avoid joining the department, a former official (who wished to remain unnamed) said, “There is no political backing. Officers feel sidelined in the Minority Department. Promotions are slow, and there’s no career growth. That’s why they prefer other departments.”
The Waqf Board is one of the worst affected. Out of 179 posts, 90 are vacant, making it hard to regulate illegal use and encroachment of Waqf lands. “Muslims have huge Waqf properties in Maharashtra. But they are being stolen openly because there is no one to manage or monitor them. This is a silent land scam,” said social activist Mohammad Irfan from Aurangabad.
The Maulana Azad Corporation, which was meant to support minority entrepreneurs and students, is also reeling. Out of 157 posts, 112 are unfilled. “There are so many schemes for student scholarships and business loans, but who will process the applications? The office is empty,” said Shabana Khan, a women’s rights campaigner from Mumbai.
The neglect is visible not just in staff shortage but also in the tiny budget allocation for the department. According to Raees Sheikh, the funds are far less than required to serve nearly 12% of the state’s population. “When they allocate budgets to other departments, they consider need and population. Why is the same not done for Muslims? This is clear discrimination,” he said.
In his meeting with Ajit Pawar, Raees Sheikh requested that a special recruitment drive be carried out, and officers be posted in all vacant positions within two months. “I told Ajit Pawar that Muslims are losing hope. If this continues, there will be protests. People are angry. This is not a small issue anymore,” he said.
Ajit Pawar has not yet responded publicly to the letter, and there has been no official statement from the Maharashtra government as yet.
In the past, too, reports have shown how Muslims in Maharashtra are under-represented in jobs, lack access to loans, and face bias in education. The Sachar Committee and several state-level studies have already confirmed this. Yet, action on the ground remains slow and cosmetic. “We have the numbers. We have the talent. But without support from the government, our hands are tied,” said Asif Shaikh, a college teacher in Pune.
At a time when other departments in Maharashtra are moving towards digitalisation and reform, the Minority Department is stuck, according to observers. Many schemes do not even reach those who are eligible. “Schemes like scholarships, skill training, and women’s empowerment remain on paper. The government is only paying lip service,” said Dr Rahmatullah, who has worked on minority education policy for two decades.
Sheikh said he would continue raising the issue both inside and outside the state legislature. He also warned that mass protests could be launched if the matter is ignored. “This is not just about Muslims. It’s about justice. When a government ignores a community for so long, it becomes a fight for survival,” he concluded.
