SRINAGAR: The Union Government acknowledged multiple long-standing administrative and financial irregularities in the management of the world-renowned Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah at Ajmer on Wednesday, even as it reaffirmed that the historic Sufi shrine continues to be governed under the provisions of the Dargah Khwaja Saheb (DKS) Act, 1955.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the Dargah is managed by a statutory Dargah Committee of five to nine members, all appointed by the Centre from among Hanafi Muslims. The committee holds powers to administer the endowment, maintain the shrine’s properties, regulate Khadims’ privileges, oversee donations, and provide for indigent descendants of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
The minister confirmed that while the committee is mandated to ensure transparency and efficient upkeep, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has repeatedly flagged irregularities in its functioning over the past decade.
According to audit inspections from 2013-14 to 2022-23, the Dargah Committee faced a string of adverse findings. These included encroachment and loss of revenue due to failure to evict unauthorised occupants of Dargah properties, unrealised rentals and licence fees amounting to several crores across multiple years, and irregularities in construction works such as boundary walls and toilet blocks carried out without statutory approvals. The audits also pointed to non-recovery of large loans and deposits, including a pending Rs 243 crore loan to Khwaja Model School and related institutions.
Further shortcomings highlighted by the CAG reports involved cash handling violations, with payments made without receipts, tax irregularities, and misuse of funds for avoidable travel. Instances of futile expenditure were also cited, such as the purchase of an X-ray machine for security purposes that was never put to use. In addition, shortages in the Dargah library’s stock, failure to deduct TDS and GST, and delays in rent collections led to avoidable losses exceeding Rs 55 lakh in certain cases.
The latest inspection for 2022-23 reported continued non-recovery of guesthouse dues worth Rs 22.88 lakh, losses due to cash not being deposited on time, and futile spending on unapproved construction works.
However, the CAG also recorded some “best practices” in the 2023-24 audit cycle, noting improved record-keeping in the office of the Nazim and better cooperation during audit proceedings.
Structural Concerns and Renovation
Rijiju admitted that “certain portions of the Dargah’s structure have shown signs of deterioration,” a natural outcome given its 700-year-old heritage status. The government has directed the Nazim of the Dargah Committee to undertake immediate repair and renovation to safeguard pilgrims’ safety and preserve the shrine’s integrity.
No Time-Bound Government Plan Yet
While members in the House highlighted recurring complaints of staff shortages, donation mismanagement, and transparency gaps, the minister maintained that these fall under the jurisdiction of the statutory committee. The Centre, he added, has not announced any time-bound intervention plan, but continues to monitor compliance with audit directives and preservation efforts.
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah, revered as one of the most important Sufi shrines in South Asia, draws millions of devotees annually, including during the famed Urs festival. Its management has often been at the centre of debates over governance, accountability, and upkeep, issues now once again under the parliamentary spotlight.
