The bylaws of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust may be amended to allow appointment of a CEO of the body and clearly define supervisory responsibilities, a person associated with the trust said on Thursday.
The fund is also considering a change to its current banking arrangement, this person said. The Fund has accounts with State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda.
Govind Dev Giri, treasurer of the trust, and K Parasaran, the trustee and senior advocate at the Supreme Court who drafted the bylaws of the trust when it was formed in February 2020, discussed the changes to the bylaws, this person said.
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Parasaran has already begun working on integrating the changes, according to the same person.
“To appoint the CEO and make administrative and financial changes in the fund, its bylaws must be amended,” a senior fund official said.
He added, “The Fund is reviewing its administrative and financial framework after the preliminary findings of the special investigation team revealed serious procedural gaps in the cash counting system. The goal is to enhance accountability, tighten oversight, and prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
The trust instrument does not include provision for the appointment of a CEO although it allows for the appointment of employees. It does not stipulate any specific responsibility for members of the trust other than the Chairman, General Secretary and Treasurer.
The trust plans to present these proposals at the next meeting of its executive committee in Ayodhya on July 22, along with the names of new secretaries to fill the vacant posts, the person associated with the trust said.
The foundation has formed a three-member committee comprising Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retd) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former NIT Raipur chief Suresh Hawer to recommend names for the CEO post.
Currently, all cash collected from the donation boxes at the temple is deposited with State Bank of India (SBI), Naya Ghat Branch, Ayodhya. However, the person said the fund is actively exploring alternatives, including dealing with another bank or spreading deposits among several eligible banks.
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The move comes after Treasury Minister Govind Dev Giri met senior officials of a private sector bank in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
The current bylaws enable the Board of Trustees to hold deposits in one or more scheduled or nationalized banks, giving it the flexibility to change the existing banking arrangement through Board resolution while maintaining the financial interests of the Fund. Board members are compensated for any losses.
The review comes after former IMF Secretary General Champat Rai, in his statement before SIT, accused the State Bank of India of failing to implement basic safeguards for cash handling, including mandatory frisking of counting staff, uniforms without pockets and other security protocols stipulated for high-value cash transactions.
The investigation team’s initial report also highlighted repeated violations of security procedures while counting money and questioned whether supervisory failures may have contributed to the alleged theft.
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Its final report, expected before the next trust meeting, is likely to determine the accountability of not only those directly accused of stealing donations but also the officials responsible for overseeing the counting process.
The Fund is expected to make its final decision on the proposed regulation amendments and banking reforms after examining the findings of the Special Investigation Team.
