SHIRDI TRUST’S PLAN TO LEND ₹500CR TO GOVT UPSETS LOCALS

MUMBAI :Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust will lend ₹500 crore to the state government without any interest for completing the Nilwande dam in Ahmednagar district. The decision has drawn mixed reactions from a group of locals who are opposing the move, claiming it to be arbitrary.

After the Trust pays its last instalment, the state will have to pay back the loan in a span of 10 years. The state on Friday had issued a government resolution (GR) directing the Sansthan to give the loan to the water resources department for the completion of the Nilwande dam.

As per the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) Act, 2004, the Sansthan is governed by the law and judiciary department of the state and has powers to divert the funds of the trust for welfare schemes. “Though the government has the right, such rampant diversion of the funds from the corpus may lead to the bankruptcy of the trust. It may end up paying a ₹1,500-crore tax if the court verdict goes against the Trust. The temple trust may go into insolvency if such arbitrary diversion continued,” said Sanjay Kale, who has filed many petitions against the Trust for alleged irregularities. Nilwande Kriti Samiti, representing villagers from surrounding tehsils, also opposed the move.

Suresh Haware, chairman of the Trust and BJP leader, said, “The Trust has a kitty of ₹2,200 crore, 450kg gold, and 5,000kg silver. Instead of keeping the corpus unused, we decided to use it for welfare schemes. The opposition is out of vested interests.”