J & K Waqf Board Denies Information under RTI on Donation and Offerings to Shahdra Sharif Shrine

         'Cites Staff Shortage as excuse to deny information '  

Jammu, 18/Aug/2026: The J&K Waqf Board has declined to provide information sought under the Right to Information Act regarding donations and offerings received during the financial year between 2020-21 to 2026 at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah Shrine , Shahdra Sharif at Rajouri citing shortage of staff .

The reply has been served by the Waqf board in reply to an RTI Application of a Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma who, had filed an application seeking financial year-wise details of cash offerings and donations received at the shrine from 2020-21 onwards. He had also sought the assessed value and quantity of gold, silver, jewellery, precious metals, precious stones and other valuables received as offerings in the holy shrine  during the same period.

The Information seeker had also a certified copy of the SoP,  policy or guidelines governing the opening and accounting of donation boxes installed at the shrine and other places.

In its reply dated 22/July/2026 , the Board stated that it did not have sufficient staff to prepare the required information as the information was voluminous and the applicant was asked to attend the Waqf office on any working day, after prior intimation, for perusal of the records, however no information document was supplied with the reply.

RTI activist objected to the manner in which the application has been dealt with, saying that the information sought concerns financial records maintained by the Board and was not a request to create fresh information. He said that if the records are available, staff shortage should not become a substitute for providing access to information under the RTI Act.

He also pointed out that information concerning public donations and management of offerings at a shrine should be available through proactive disclosure under Section 4 of the RTI Act.

Sharma said the response was disappointing and stated that he would not be able to visit the office. He said he would file a first appeal against the response and pursue the matter before the competent authority.

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