- BEGGING RALLY AGAINST SHIRDI SANSTHAN FUNDING SHIRDI AIRPORT On 21st July`2011, the youth activists of a political party

had organised a Begging Rally just outside the Sai Baba Temple @ Shirdi, in-protest of Shirdi Sansthan using the donation funds for the completion of the Shirdi Airport, which actually was the duty of the State Government. They begged on the roads and decided to give the collected money to the Shirdi Sansthan, for them to use it instead of the donation money for completion of the Airport work, as they were against the Sai Santhan giving Rs.50 Crores to the Government for the same. They have also threatened "Shirdi Bandh" and Self-immolation near the Sai Temple itself, if the Sansthan goes ahead & gives the money to the Government.

While, on 22nd July`2011,

Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay visited Shirdi and said that his ministry would provide Rs.300 crore for the development of the Sai Baba Temple premises and Shirdi town. He assured that he would discuss the issue with the Maharashtra Chief Minister. He said that the development of Shirdi has been rather slow, considering that nearly 30,000 devotees come to the town every day and so if they could double the sector's contribution to GDP, lakhs of new jobs would be created. As to the Sai Baba Temple Trust giving money to the Maharashtra Government for proposed airport at Shirdi, he said it was not right for the Government to turn to the Shirdi Trust for this purpose !!!

SHIRDI SANSTHAN GETS STATE GOVERNMENTS NOD FOR FUNDING THE AIRPORT @ SHIRDI
01st Aug`2011

Shirdi is all set to get a new Airport as the Maharashtra State Government in the Legislative Council has cleared the decks to allow the temples managing trust, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, to release Rs 50 crore for the construction of the Airport at Kakdi Village near Shirdi. Amidst a heated debate, where the Opposition benches accused the state of trying to utilise Temple money to serve rich devotees, the chief minister of Maharashtra denied any such vested interest. The Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra said that their concern was to improve the facilities @ Shirdi to benefit devotees and that for decades, the second richest trust in the country with an annual income of Rs 300 crore, had already constructed bus depots, rest houses and hospitals. He added that they wanted to give religious tourism a boost.

PROTESTS INTENSIFY AGAINST SHIRDI SANSTHAN'S FUNDING OF THE AIRPORT @ SHIRDI

04th Aug`2011 On Wednesday 03rd Aug`2011, Shiv Sena workers took out a protest rally to the Shirdi Sansthan's Office in the Temple premises @ Shirdi. They were protesting against the Shirdi Sansthans decision to give Rs.50 crore to the Maharashtra Government for the construction of an Airport at Kakdi Village near Shirdi. Holding flags, they voiced their protest by shouting slogans against Shirdi Sansthan's Members. The Shiv Sena had pre-warned the Sai Sansthan about their protest earlier by gathering at the Temple's Main Gate and in the evening they reached the Sai Sansthans office and as no senior officer present in the Office, they smeared Black color on the face of the Sansthan's Administrative Officer present. They said that the Officer was not their aim but the trustees board on the whole were. They demanded that the Sai Sansthan roll back their decision of using the devotees donated money for fulfilling the duties of the Maharashtra State Governments. They also demanded that within a period of 8 days, the Shirdi Sansthan take back the first installment of Rs.15 Crore which they have already given to the Maharashtra Government for the Airport @ Shirdi or else they would intensify their protest and smear black color on the face of the Shirdi Sansthan's

Chairman as well. Later the Police intervened and arrested 17 workers of the Shiv Sena in this connection, but the court later released all of them on bail. The Shiv Sena said that it is the duty of the State Government to make an Airport and not the resposibility of the Shirdi Sansthan, and that Sai Baba would be happy if the donated money was used for the welfare of the poor, Rehabilitation of the Shirdi by-pass road, the Dam project for Shirdi etc and not for the benefit of the Rich-n-Wealthy.

"Shirdi Sai Baba was a "Fakir", but yet devOtees dOnate gOlden crOwn and gOld thrOnes fOr him. My Life is alsO like a Fakir. I alsO get a lOt of mOney, but I dOn't keep it tO rOt in Swiss Banks, instead use it tO help the pOOr generOusly !".....Bal
Thackeray

rOhit beHaL