Ram Mandir: After theft report, buzz on Centre-guided administrative overhaul

The preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which exposed multi-layered financial irregularities in Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, has now triggered buzz about a major administrative restructuring of the temple’s management.

The SIT submitted its preliminary report to the UP government on Monday.

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Sources indicate that the decision of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government to form the three-member SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities and embezzlement of donation funds was also prompted by the BJP’s “senior-most leadership”.

Discussions are also said to be underway on adopting the “Tirupati Model” of temple administration. Significantly, the proposal had originated from Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee and a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently suggested adopting the model to streamline the temple’s administration in his first reaction on allegations of missing donation funds from the Ram temple.

Under the Tirupati Model, day-to-day operations, accounting, and security are managed by a full-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO), usually a senior bureaucrat, while religious and spiritual matters remain under the supervision of seers and temple authorities.

“One needs to read between the lines. When Mishra, who had served as the PM’s principal Secretary for a long time, raised questions over accountability and compliance, they reflected concerns of the topmost in the government,” they said.

At present, the temple and its assets are managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya established by the Centre in February 2020 following a Supreme Court directive. While the Trust was officially constituted as an autonomous institution, sources point to multiple overlaps with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

According to insiders, ‘issues also exist between RSS and VHP officials and also the overall Sangh and the BJP”, which need to be addressed.

The SIT’s preliminary findings paint a troubling picture. It reportedly alleged that temple cash handlers deliberately obstructed CCTV cameras to facilitate the theft of cash donations and offerings. It also noted that lax supervision allowed individuals to evade frisking and security checks. The SIT is said to have recommended immediate registration of FIRs, a comprehensive audit of temple finances covering the past five years, the appointment of a government-backed CEO to oversee administration, and the introduction of pocket less uniforms for personnel handling cash donations.