Aurangabad, Jun 8 (IANS): Muslim organisations in the state demanded a hike in the annual budget for the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Academy (MSUSA) and to fill up the vacant posts that hamper its functioning, here on Thursday.

A delegation of Muslim leaders led by Mohsin Ahmed, Samiuddin Athar, A.A. Irfan, T.A. Khan, Rafiuddin Nasiar, Salim Mohiuddin, Yusuf Dewan, Shaheen Fatima, A.A. Khan, Muhammad Yasir, Syed Muzaffar and S.A. Quddus met the Collector and submitted a memorandum with a request to forward it to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Ahmed said that presently the MSUSA gets funds of just Rs 1.31 crore and the memorandum demanded that it should be hiked to at least Rs 5-crore to enable carry out all its activities.

Besides, the MSUSA currently has six vacant posts and only one superintendent is managing the show which is seriously hampering its functioning. The delegation has urged the government to fill up all the vacancies on priority.

The MSUSA, coming under the state minorities department, engages in various public activities to promote the Urdu language, through seminars and literary meets, organising mushairas and conducting drama festivals, among others.