At a time when allegations of donation row at Ram temple in Ayodhya have created a storm, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Foundation will hold a crucial meeting on Monday.
Amid the ongoing investigation into alleged misappropriation of donations, the fate of Trust general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra – and the resignations they have tendered – is likely to dominate the agenda, PTI reported, citing Trust sources.
Read also: ‘Hindus have been hypnotized’: Uddhav Thackeray revives old Sena Stadium with donation line for Ayodhya Ram Mandir
The meeting will be held at Mani Ram Chauni, and Trust Chairman Nritya Gopal Das and Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri have requested all regular and ex-officio members to attend the deliberations.
However, Das was rushed to hospital, where he was said to be in a critical condition. He is likely to attend the meeting via video conference, along with another senior secretary, K Parasaran, who cannot travel due to age-related health issues, the report said, citing sources.
The new administrative structure will likely be discussed
The resignation of Rai and Mishra will dominate the agenda as the duo stepped down after alleged irregularities in donations. The Fund may consider a new management structure if resignations are accepted. The role of special invitee Gopal Rao is also expected to be discussed.
Read also: Congress attacks VHP, says it ’emotionally misleading Hindus’ in line to steal donations at Ram temple
The interim findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) are also expected to be discussed at the main meeting.
The unaudited income and expenditure statement, balance sheet and other financial details for the fiscal year 2025-2026 will be submitted for approval, the report added, citing sources. .
It is expected that the appointment of a CEO to supervise the management of the Ram Temple will be discussed during the meeting.
Read also: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay will return to Karur on July 10, his first visit since the stampede that claimed the lives of at least 40 people
The trust currently stuck in the donation queue has 11 regular members, including president Nritya Gopal Das, Vasudevanand Saraswati, Vishwaprasanathirth, Parmanand Giri, treasurers Govind Dev Giri, Krishna Mohan, Dinendra Das and K Parasaran.
The Fund currently lacks a Vice-President to chair meetings in the absence of the President.
Questions were raised about the performance of the trust
As the investigation into the case continues, questions are now being raised as to why the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Khetra Trust has not come up with rules or a guide for appointing and paying around 1,500 employees, even though there are rules and a guide for appointing priests.
“Like the priests’ handbooks, what rules of service are established for the rest of the staff and determine their salaries?” A Trust employee told HT on condition of anonymity.
“Several crores have to be spent on wages of 1,500 employees. Details of income expenditure along with revenue and asset expenditure were presented under separate heads in the meetings, which the secretaries continued to approve. However, the issue of service rules for these employees was never raised,” he added.
Read also: Just over two months after the marriage, a Delhi woman died after falling from an NDMC apartment; The family claims murder over dowry
Some people associated with the trust have raised the issue of whether the police had checked the identity of the employees working at the Ram temple complex before appointing them, according to the person cited above.
He said the growing influence of Ram Shankar Yadav “Tino”, one of the eight men arrested in the case – from a sevadar (volunteer) to a powerful person in the temple administration and a trusted aide of Champat Rai – had gone unnoticed even by the secretaries.
In the past six years, about twenty meetings of the 15-member Executive Committee have been held mandatorily every four months. Nearly all members of the Executive Committee attended the meetings physically or virtually.
(with PTI inputs)
