Ex-Shirdi Trust chief 'hosted' politicians at taxpayers' cost?

Guests, including politicians enjoyed "free" stay at the trust's VIP guest house

PTI | June 28, 2012



Politicians from Maharashtra, among others, had allegedly enjoyed their stay free of cost at Shirdi Saibaba Trust's guest house during most of the tenure of its chairman and former Congress MLA Jayant Sasane, an RTI query has revealed.

The guests, including politicians among others, enjoyed "free" stay at the trust's VIP guest house, 'Sai Niwas', from May 20, 2005 till March 30 this year, activist Sanjay Kale said on Thursday.

Sasane became chairman of the Trust in 2004.

Meanwhile, Sasane footed the bill to the tune of Rs 1.67 Lakh last week, after Kale sought information under RTI. Besides the former MLA, some members of the now disbanded trust, have also paid their pending dues, believed to be in lakhs.

Sasane was unavailable for comment.

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on May 30 ordered disbanding of the Shirdi Sai Baba Trust, second time after its March 13 verdict, dissolving the seven-year-old body comprising 15 trustees for not complying with the constitution of the trust which entails that the term of the body cannot be more than three years.

The trust affairs are now looked after by the Ahmed Nagar district collector under the district judge and the executive officer of the trust.

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