Ram Temple Trust tightens donation oversight, reviews SBI role after alleged counting irregularities

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced a slew of administrative and religious reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, governance and temple management, even as an investigation into alleged irregularities in the counting of devotees' donations remains underway.

At a meeting in Ayodhya, the Trust said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged discrepancies in donation counting has not yet submitted its final report. It urged the public not to jump to conclusions, stressing that any action against those found guilty would be taken only after the legal process is completed and in accordance with court directions.

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To improve transparency with immediate effect, the Trust said an Assistant General Manager of Indian Bank and a representative of Swarna Rajat Finance will be present during the counting of donations. It also announced that the entire counting process will now be monitored through live CCTV surveillance.

The Trust also reviewed its existing banking arrangements and flagged shortcomings in the implementation of banking procedures and standard operating protocols. It has asked its Finance Committee to examine the current system and recommend corrective measures.

During the meeting, several seers voiced concerns over the role of the State Bank of India (SBI), noting that personnel engaged by the bank for donation counting are among those accused in the case. The Trust indicated it could reconsider its existing arrangement with SBI for counting and depositing donations.

Despite the controversy, the Trust said there has been no decline in the number of devotees visiting the Ram Temple.

It described the steady footfall as a reflection of the unwavering faith of millions of devotees and expressed gratitude to saints, pilgrims and the people of Ayodhya for their continued support.

In another key decision, the Trust approved the appointment of an official spokesperson to provide timely and authentic information related to the temple and its administration.

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It also reconstituted the Religious Committee (Puja-Anushthan Committee), which will oversee the preservation of traditional rituals and the sanctity of temple practices. The committee will be headed by Swami Govind Dev Giri and include Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Vishwaprasannatirth, Swami Dinendra Das, Swami Kamalnayan Das, Mahant Rajkumar Das, Swami Ramanand Das and Swami Mithileshanandini Sharan.

The Trust reviewed the process of filling vacant trustee positions and said it expects the exercise to be completed within the next few weeks.

It also expressed satisfaction with the temple's CCTV security infrastructure, noting that access to all surveillance cameras, including those monitoring the donation counting room, remains exclusively with security officials.

On the administrative front, the Trust said the search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has entered its final stage. Around 5,200 applications have been received from across the country. However, the CEO selection committee sought an additional month to complete the recruitment process, a request that was approved by the Trust. It also cleared the appointment of a secretary-level officer to strengthen the temple's administrative functioning.

The meeting, however, did not arrive at a consensus on the appointment of a new General Secretary or CEO. Retired Indian Forest Service officer Krishna Mohan will continue as Acting General Secretary until a final decision is taken.

The next meeting of the Trust is scheduled for September 2, when the appointments of the new General Secretary and CEO are expected to be finalised.

The Trust also noted that Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) General Secretary Bajrang Lal Bagra has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of General Secretary and was present at Wednesday's meeting.

This was the Trust's second meeting since the alleged donation theft controversy surfaced. On July 6, it accepted the resignations of former General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Anil Mishra after both stepped down on June 26 following the allegations. Krishna Mohan was subsequently appointed Acting General Secretary.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and the sanctity of the Ram Temple, the Trust said the reforms are being implemented in the interest of devotees and to ensure more efficient management of the shrine.