Hyderabad: The AP Minorities Welfare Department sanctioned Rs 55.86 lakh additional funds for the maintenance of Macca Masjid and Royal Mosque, and for paying salaries including arrears to staff.
Special secretary Syed Omar Jaleel said on Tuesday that the Hyderabad district minority welfare officer had sought Rs 88 lakh for the maintenance of the masjids, and the department had released Rs 55.86 lakh.
Minority department sources said the expenditure on the maintenance of Mecca Masjid and Royal Mosque had increased after the 2007 blast as the government had deployed security staff at both the mosques, and had also installed CCTV cameras.
Sources added that the actual budget for both the mosques under plan and non-plan allocation was Rs 48 lakh, and it was not sufficient to meet expenditures in view of the increase in security staff and maintenance of surveillance cameras.
Most of the cameras had become defunct due to lack of funds for maintenance.
Sources also pointed out that the home guards were not getting salaries since three months.
