RTI exposes staff shortage in Telangana Minority Welfare dept
HYDERABAD: An RTI by activist Kareem Ansari revealed significant vacancies in the Telangana Minorities Welfare Department. The data discloses of 198 sanctioned posts, only 128 are filled, leaving 70 positions vacant.
The reply from the Office of the Commissioner of Minorities Welfare gives an overview of the department’s staff and spending as of early 2026.
Expanding on these staffing numbers, information furnished under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, states that the department currently employs 128 regular employees. In addition, there are 27 contract employees and 51 outsourcing staff members currently working in the department and its affiliated bodies.
The data reveal a particularly acute shortage at the district level. Of 136 sanctioned posts across district offices, only 92 are working, leaving 44 positions unfilled. Most notably, all 15 posts of Hostel Welfare Officer Gr-II are vacant, leaving no officers to oversee the welfare of students in minority hostels at the district level. This directly impacts the support and oversight available to these students within each district.
There are also not enough staff at the Commissioner’s office in Hyderabad, where 26 out of 62 approved jobs are empty. This includes 6 Urdu Officer Gr-I jobs, 9 Urdu Officer Gr-II jobs, and 3 Senior Assistant jobs.
In terms of employment status, the response also clarified that there are no retired employees continuing to work in any capacity, such as contract, extension, re-employment, or consultant basis, within the department.
Addressing other aspects of the RTI request, the response stated that while the applicant had sought details on sanctioned posts and vacancies category-wise (teaching, non-teaching, administrative, technical, etc.), this information was enclosed separately. However, the enclosures were not detailed in the available document.
Financial data was also included in the RTI response. The department’s total monthly salary bill for regular staff stands at Rs 30,33,501. Additionally, the department incurs Rs 2,28,009 per month towards contract and outsourcing staff payments.
These findings have caused worry among welfare activists. The many empty jobs, especially the lack of Hostel Welfare Officers in the districts, could be hurting services meant for minority communities in Telangana. The Minorities Welfare Department runs scholarships, hostels, and other welfare programs for minority communities in the state.
Taken together, this information provides a rare glimpse into the workforce composition of a key social welfare department in the state, highlighting the significant role of outsourcing and contract staff alongside regular employees.
