edited: 467Jaipur: Union minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju has raised concerns over serious financial and administrative irregularities within the Dargah Committee, Ajmer, which functions under his ministry. In a written reply to Parliament on Thursday, Rijiju cited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports spanning 2013-14 to 2022-23, highlighting discrepancies exceeding Rs 6 crore. The figure, however, is incomplete. In several instances, irregularities were flagged but the actual loss was not quantified. Rijiju’s remarks were in response to questions raised by Barmer MP Ummedaram Beniwal during the recently concluded monsoon session. According to the minister’s reply, the CAG reports pointed to practices such as accepting donations without proper receipts, weak security measures, poor cleanliness and maintenance, mismanagement of funds and inadequate facilities for devotees. Among the specific lapses were non-recovery of Rs 2.43 crore loan given to Khwaja Model School, Ajmer, and a futile expenditure of Rs 28.30 lakh on an unused x-ray machine meant for security. The CAG reports also flagged non-recovery of outstanding guesthouse room rent of Rs 22.88 lakh, spending of Rs 34,000 on a virtual meeting over Google Meet, irregular payment of taxi charges of Rs 1.31 lakh without vehicle numbers, cash transactions of Rs 4.80 lakh in violation of the Income Tax Act and irregular travel reimbursements of Rs 89,000 without tickets or boarding passes. In response to questions on dilapidated structures, the minister accepted that portions of the 700-year-old Dargah structure showed signs of deterioration. “The Nazim of Dargah Khwaja Saheb has now been directed to initiate immediate repair and renovation work to ensure the safety and convenience of pilgrims,” the reply read. Barmer MP Beniwal, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the minister’s replies, particularly to two of his five questions. He said Friday his queries on whether the Dargah Committee was formally constituted and if there was a time-bound plan to address irregularities and repair the dilapidated buildings, went unanswered. “The minister, who also holds the parliamentary affairs portfolio, has done injustice to my right as an MP to seek clear answers. He misled by giving a rounded response—defining the roles of the Dargah Committee but remaining silent on its constitution, which has not been carried out for the past three years,” Beniwal told TOI. “Secondly, I specifically asked for a timeline for the repair of the dilapidated buildings, but no answer was given.” Syed Sarwar Chishti, secretary of the Anjuman (body of Dargah priests), said: “This is enough evidence to warrant a high-level investigation, including probes under PMLA by the Enforcement Directorate, to assess the actual loss of revenue, which is many times higher than what the CAG report reflects.” TOI reached out to the media cell of the ministry of minority affairs for comments in the matter and a response was awaited till the time of filing this report Friday.
