Urdu Sahitya Academy move put on hold

In a significant development, the Maharashtra government has put the proposed relocation of the Urdu Sahitya Academy on hold.

- leena [e-mail]

The decision was announced after a high-level meeting chaired by minority affairs minister Dattatray Bharne on July 8, following a calling attention motion raised by Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh in the state assembly. HT had reported on Sunday about Shaikh’s opposition to the relocation.

The move to hold the relocation is seen asa direct result of persistent efforts by Shaikh, who actively pursued the matter through formal correspondence and legislative channels. Speaking on the outcome, he said, “This is a victory for the just demands of the Urdu-speaking community. The government has assured us that there will be no relocation unless a government-owned, fully furnished space of 2,000 sq ft is made available.”