Ram temple trust to pick CEO, discuss deed amendment amid donation theft row
Ram Temple Trust to Pick New CEO Amid Donation Scandal
Bharatmorningnews.com – The Ram temple trust to pick a permanent chief executive officer tops the agenda as trustees of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust convene in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for two back-to-back sessions on Wednesday. The gathering carries added weight because it lands in the middle of a high-profile dispute over how temple offerings were handled, a controversy that has already forced two senior officials out of their posts and drawn parallel probes from both the state and the Supreme Court. Across a 12-point agenda, the body will also vote on the first amendment to its founding deed since the organisation was constituted in February 2020.
Two separate sittings are scheduled: the first from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the second from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., affording trustees roughly three hours of deliberation. This marks the third assembly called since the donation-handling allegations first surfaced publicly in early June.
How the CEO Shortlist Was Narrowed
The search for a full-time chief executive officer kicked off on July 6 with the formation of a dedicated screening panel. That panel waded through 5,585 applications, whittled the field down to 111 candidates for online interviews, and ultimately summoned sixteen finalists to Ayodhya for face-to-face questioning over several weeks.
Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, who led the panel alongside Lt Gen (Retd) V K Chaturvedi and scientist-industrialist Suresh Haware, reached Ayodhya late on Monday carrying a sealed envelope with three shortlisted names. The trio handed the envelope directly to trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das Maharaj. According to sources close to the proceedings, the Wednesday sitting will debate those three names before the chosen candidate’s identity is made public.
Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee, has framed the appointment as indispensable for bringing professional administrative discipline and financial transparency to an institution of this scale. The trust has stated that the incoming CEO will report to the general secretary, formulate long-range strategic plans, and wield the highest executive authority within the organisation. All statutory, administrative, and financial responsibilities fall under the role, including the design of internal systems and operational procedures. Crucially, the trust has emphasised that the CEO’s powers will be clearly delineated in the amended deed, with no government interference in day-to-day management.
Deed Amendment and a New Security Layer
Beside the leadership decision, trustees have tabled a motion to amend the trust deed for the first time since the body was created in February 2020. Before the amendment is put to a vote, prior proceedings and procedural requirements will be confirmed. The revised deed is expected to codify the CEO’s mandate, reporting lines, and the precise boundaries of executive authority.
For the first time, the trust will also stand up a permanent security coordination committee operating under the general secretary’s oversight. An audited income-and-expenditure report for fiscal year 2025-26 will be placed before the trustees, alongside decisions already taken by the religious, finance, and construction committees.
The Donation Controversy and Parallel Investigations
The storm broke on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan Pandey, widely known as “Pawan” Pandey, publicly alleged that between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore had been siphoned from temple offerings before reaching the designated bank account. Six days later, on June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the claims. The SIT filed its interim report on July 20, and on that same date the Supreme Court directed the formation of a second, independent SIT to run a parallel inquiry.
The state SIT’s final report flagged what it described as “gross lapses” in the trust’s functioning, particularly around professional financial management. It questioned the role of the State Bank of India, which held the trust’s principal account, and alleged that a portion of offerings was diverted before being deposited into the temple’s designated account. On June 26, eight employees connected with the handling and counting of donations were arrested in connection with the allegations.
The trust has maintained that the appointment of a dedicated, full-time CEO and the codification of executive powers in the amended deed are the structural remedies needed to restore donor confidence and operational transparency.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new CEO’s name be announced? The identity of the chosen candidate is expected to be made public at the Wednesday sitting, after the three shortlisted names have been debated by the trustees.
What does the deed amendment change? The first amendment since February 2020 is expected to codify the CEO’s mandate, reporting lines, and the boundaries of executive authority, ensuring that powers are clearly delineated without government interference in daily management.
How many candidates made the final shortlist? From an initial pool of 5,585 applications, the screening panel narrowed the field to 111 online-interview candidates, then to 16 in-person interviewees in Ayodhya, and finally to three names sealed in an envelope delivered to the trust chairman.
What is the status of the donation investigation? Two parallel inquiries are underway: the state SIT, which filed its final report citing “gross lapses,” and a second independent SIT ordered by the Supreme Court on July 20. Eight employees were arrested on June 26 in connection with the allegations.