An administrative officer may be appointed as CEO of the Ram Mandir Trust, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) recommending the creation of the post in its preliminary report, officials said on Tuesday.
The above-mentioned people said that this recommendation is part of a broader proposal to enhance the fund’s administrative performance. The proposal is expected to feature prominently during the fund’s quarterly meeting on July 11, while the central government is also likely to take a decision on the issue before the meeting.
The names of Ram Mandir Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra and retired IAS officer Yogeshwaram Mishra are being discussed for the proposed CEO post, the people cited above said. But no official decision has been taken yet.
The proposed appointment would require amendments to the Fund’s bylaws, as the current rule book does not provide for the position of CEO. This proposal comes after the arrest of eight defendants in the alleged embezzlement case and the resignation of two trustees. Trustee Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swamy said the resignations would be discussed during the July 11 meeting.
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If the resignations are accepted, three trustee positions will become vacant, including one that has been vacant since the death of trustee Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra.
These developments come days after Champat Rai and Anil Mishra tendered their resignation from the temple trust amid an escalating row over allegations of irregularities in donation collections at the Ram Temple.
Rai was the General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and Anil Mishra was a senior member. So far, eight men – including one of Rai’s aides and two of Mishra’s relatives – have been arrested in the case and nearly $80 million in cash were recovered from their homes.
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The controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan “Pawan” Pandey claimed the donations were worth… $5 Crores $Rs 7.5 crore has been withdrawn from the temple offerings. On June 13, the state government formed a special investigation team at the request of the Temple Trust.
