Legal victory for Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh: Municipal Council scraps solid waste management demand
Nashik, Maharashtra – The legal opposition mounted by the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh against the proposal to transfer ₹13 crore from the Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust’s temple treasury to the Trimbak Municipal Council for solid waste management has succeeded.
Legal representation submitted to Mr.Govind Jadhav, Chief Executive Officer of Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council! by the Mandir Mahasangh & Hindutva org. urging that Rs 13 crore from the Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple funds should not be allocated for solid waste management!@Ramesh_hjs pic.twitter.com/dlsw17L2Sl
— Mandir Mahasangh (@mandirmahasangh) September 11, 2026
The Mahasangh maintained a firm stance that devotee donations must be used exclusively for temple maintenance, religious services, and the preservation of Hindu culture, arguing that diverting these funds for civic infrastructure is legally untenable. The Mahasangh submitted detailed representations to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the Minister of State for Law and Judiciary, and the Charity Commissioner.
Taking cognisance of these submissions, the Minister of State for Law and Judiciary, Ashish Jaiswal, directed the Charity Commissioner to conduct a thorough inquiry and take appropriate action. Following the state-ordered investigation and the evidence-backed opposition by the Mandir Mahasangh, the Municipal Council effectively withdrew its demand for the funds.
Administrative and legal submissions
Representatives of the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh and other pro-Hindu organisations met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council, Govind Jadhav, and the Joint Charity Commissioner in Nashik to formally register their opposition and present key administrative and legal arguments.
On this occasion, Sandeep Wagh of the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh, Kailash Deshmukh of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, Advocate Prerna Wagh, Amol Shinde, Shreyas Dani, and Sanjeevani Dani were present.
The state government has sanctioned a budget of ₹34,000 crore for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which includes ₹277 crore specifically earmarked for road construction and waste management in Trimbakeshwar. In addition, The Municipal Council possesses statutory authority to collect user fees from citizens and visitors for waste management services. Furthermore, as per the rules, it is mandatory for local bodies to reserve 25% of their total capital expenditure for waste management. The Mahasangh demonstrated with evidence that demanding funds from the Devasthan’s treasury for waste management, despite all these administrative and financial avenues being available, is entirely unjustified.
During the interaction, citing a past precedent, it was pointed out that the proposal to allocate ₹500 crore from the Shirdi Sansthan for the Nilwande Dam was stayed following the intervention of the High Court. Moreover, citing various judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Court, it was asserted that temple funds cannot be diverted for other development works.
Official stance and outcome
The administration took a favourable view of the comprehensive legal and factual arguments submitted by the Mandir Mahasangh. In a statement clarifying the council’s position, Chief Officer Govind Jadhav noted that no formal resolution demanding the ₹13 crore had been passed and that the initial correspondence was merely a proposal. Although the council had earlier filed a detailed six-page written justification for the demand, it has since altered its position and committed to holding formal discussions with the Mandir Mahasangh prior to making any future decisions of this nature.
