Hyderabad: As the Telangana government considers organising the annual Chief Minister’s iftar on March 21 or 22, activists and civil society members are urging the administration to allocate funds towards more constructive initiatives that offer long-term benefits to the community.

Social activist Lubna Sarwath has formally appealed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Advisor for Minorities Welfare Mohammad Ali Shabbir, and Chief Secretary A. Shanthi Kumari, requesting them to discontinue the iftar tradition introduced by the former Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government. In her letters, she emphasised that such gatherings do not contribute to meaningful development and suggested that funds be redirected towards minority education schemes. She specifically highlighted the underutilisation of resources at the Centre for Education and Development of Minorities, which could be better leveraged to support students.

Criticising large-scale iftars held at venues like L. B. Stadium, Ms Sarwath argued that such expenditures amount to a misuse of public funds that could instead be invested in essential welfare initiatives.

Echoing these concerns, S. Q. Masood of the Association for Socio-Economic Empowerment of the Marginalised (ASEEM) pointed out the urgent need for financial support in the education sector. He noted that thousands of students have been impacted due to delays in the State’s release of fee reimbursement funds. Given this situation, he questioned the necessity of hosting a grand iftar, suggesting that the money could be used for critical welfare programmes instead.

“The Telangana government has yet to introduce any new welfare scheme for minorities. Instead of funding an iftar, the focus should be on formulating substantial welfare measures. The Minorities Finance Corporation is struggling to disburse new loans due to a significant backlog, and less than 14% of allocated funds have been spent on fee reimbursements. No tuition fee reimbursement applications have been sanctioned for 2024-25,” he remarked.

Mr Masood further stressed that while the government had promised a sub-plan for minorities, symbolic gestures such as hosting an iftar contribute little to the broader goal of economic upliftment. He urged policymakers to implement serious interventions that directly address the community’s pressing concerns.

Meanwhile, some religious leaders have also raised objections regarding the timing of the iftar. They pointed out that March 21 coincides with the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Imam Ali, an important occasion for both Shia and Sunni Muslims.

“The city itself was named after Hyder, meaning Imam Ali. Holding the Chief Minister’s iftar on the 21st of Ramzan, the day of his martyrdom, would be inappropriate. The government could consider choosing another date,” suggested Mir Abbas Ali Moosvi, mutawalli of the Badshahi Ashoorkhana.

With growing calls to prioritise long-term welfare over ceremonial gatherings, the government’s decision on the iftar is expected to draw significant public attention in the coming days.