The district administration of Kishtwar has issued fresh guidelines to regulate donation collection during the holy month of Ramadan 2026, citing concerns over unauthorized fundraising and possible misuse of public contributions.
District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma announced that strict action will be taken against individuals or organizations collecting money without proper permission.
No Fundraising Without Registration and Approval
In an official order, the administration made it clear that no individual, NGO, trust, society, or committee can collect donations without valid registration and prior intimation to the concerned authorities, including the Waqf Board unit in Kishtwar or the Majlis Shura Committee, wherever applicable.
The order was issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
District Magistrate Sharma said the move was necessary to prevent misuse of religious donations.
“It is the statutory obligation of the administration to ensure that public contributions intended for relief, welfare or religious purposes are not misappropriated, laundered or diverted for extraneous or subversive activities,” Sharma stated.
“Sacred Traditions Must Not Be Exploited”
The administration said that Zakat and Sadaqah are sacred aspects of Ramzan and must not be misused.
“While the tradition of Zakat and Sadaqah is an integral and sacred facet of the religious and social fabric during Ramadan, any act of artifice, misrepresentation, or fraudulent solicitation of funds not only desecrates the sanctity of the Holy Month but also exploits the altruism of the public,” the District Magistrate said.
Officials said that the intention is not to stop genuine charity or religious work but to ensure transparency and protect public trust.
The new guidelines strictly prohibit door-to-door collection without authorization, online fundraising without approval, harassment of commuters, and blocking public pathways for collecting donations.
All fundraising entities must maintain proper records of collections and expenditures. Anyone found collecting money without authenticated registration and authorization documents will be treated as unauthorized.
Sub-registrars have been directed to publish a list of registered charitable trusts operating in the district within five days so that the public can identify legitimate organizations.
Vigilance Helpline Activated
To strengthen monitoring, a dedicated vigilance helpline has been launched to report fraudulent fundraising or harassment, police said. The Senior Superintendent of Police, along with sub-divisional magistrates and tehsildars, have been directed to ensure strict enforcement throughout Ramzan.
The order has come into immediate effect and will remain operational during the entire holy month. Authorities warned that any violation will invite legal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other applicable laws.
