Rubath in Ajmer a distant dream as no sign of work from Telangana government

Hyderabad: Four years have passed since Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao promised a rubath (guest house) in Ajmer for the pilgrims visiting the shrine of the Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti, but there has been no progress in the project.

The minorities’ welfare department has not been able to take up work at the ground level for various reasons, although the state government had purchased a piece of land measuring about 5,000 sq. yards from the Ajmer Development Authority.

After the formation of Telangana state, the Chief Minister had promised to construct a rubath (guest house) or ‘Hyderabad House’ in Ajmer for pilgrims from the state and Rs 5 crore was sanctioned for the project.

“Several lakhs of people from the state, irrespective of their faith, visit the shrine. So, Mr Rao had decided to construct the guest house on the lines of the rubath constructed by the Nizam in Macca to accommodate pilgrims. He will lay the foundation stone at the site soon,” said Telangana state Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem.

Four years since, there is no sign of activity at the site that the government had purchased. Mr Ilyas Shamshi, a social activist, said that the government had promised to construct the rubath at the earliest. “Nearly four years have passed since the promise was made, but there is no activity. Recently, the minority welfare department decided on the foundation stone laying ceremony by June end. But for reasons known only to officials, it was dropped,” he said.

Sources said that the construction of the ‘rubath’ could take about two years considering the massive structure the government is planning on the land purchased in Ajmer. The government initially planned to buy about two acres of land for constructing the guest house.

Adviser to the government on minority affairs A.K. Khan said the government had already made plans for the construction of the building at Ajmer. “Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will be laying the foundation stone soon. We had planned the foundation stone laying ceremony last month, but due to last minute changes in engagements, the plan was dropped,” Mr Khan said.