Ayodhya, July 10 -- The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is set to introduce sweeping administrative reforms, including amendments to its bylaws to create the post of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as it seeks to professionalise the management of the Ram Temple in the wake of the donation theft controversy.
The proposed amendments, which will be placed before the trust's executive committee on July 22, are aimed at strengthening accountability, streamlining administration and introducing a corporate-style governance model. Along with the bylaw changes, the meeting is also expected to consider the appointment of new trustees to fill vacant positions.
Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri has held discussions with senior Supreme Court advocate and trustee K Parasaran, who drafted the trust's original bylaws when it was constituted in February 2020, regarding the proposed amendments. According to trust sources, Parasaran has already begun incorporating the necessary changes to facilitate the appointment of a CEO and restructure the trust's administrative and financial framework.
"The trust's bylaws have to be amended for appointing a Chief Executive Officer and bringing in administrative and financial reforms," a senior trust office-bearer said. "The trust is reviewing its administrative and financial framework after the SIT's preliminary findings exposed serious procedural lapses in the cash-counting system. The objective is to strengthen accountability, tighten oversight and prevent any recurrence of such incidents."
The trust has decided against appointing a serving IAS officer as CEO, preferring instead a retired IAS officer or an individual with equivalent administrative experience. Trust functionaries said a serving bureaucrat could create the perception that the temple's administration was under government control, whereas the trust intends to preserve its independent character.
A three-member committee has been asked to submit a panel of three names for the CEO's post before the July 22 meeting. The committee will also recommend the CEO's powers, reporting structure and responsibilities.
The trust plans to run the Ram Temple on the lines of a professionally managed multinational organisation. Under the proposed structure, the trust chairman will remain the highest authority while the CEO will head the executive administration.
Engineers, financial experts and other professionals will report to the CEO, who will oversee a workforce of around 1,500 to 2,000 salaried employees. The CEO will receive a fixed salary, unlike the current arrangement under which General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra served without remuneration.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.