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Shaikh said that the government decision is a victory for Urdu lovers. The decision was announced following a high-level meeting chaired by Bharne on Tuesday in response to a calling attention motion moved by Shaikh in the state assembly. The government has agreed to create a permanent corpus fund of Rs 10 crore for the Urdu Sahitya Academy, with a tenure of 50 years. The government is also positively considering a separate annual provision of Rs five crore, said Shaikh.

“The decision to halt the relocation and ensure that the academy remains within a government facility is a victory for the just demands of the Urdu-speaking population. The minister assured that there will be no relocation until a fully furnished, government-owned 2,000 sq ft premises is made available. It is a welcome move by the government. I have consistently followed up on this issue through letters and legislative tools. This outcome is reassuring for all Urdu lovers,” said MLA Rais Shaikh.

During the meeting, several issues concerning the minority community were discussed, including vacant positions in the Minority Research and Training Institute and vacancies in the Minority Commissionerate.

“Minister Bharne assured that if a suitable government space is not identified for the Akademi in two months, the existing premises will be renovated. He also directed that the seven vacant staff positions in the academy be filled immediately. If regular appointments are delayed, contractual recruitment will be undertaken to ensure smooth functioning,” Shaikh added.

The academy, established to promote Urdu, had stalwarts such as Ismat Chughtai, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Setu Madhavrao Pagdi in its first committee. However, inadequate funding and a shortage of staff have forced the academy to curtail its activities in the last decade.