Ram Mandir Trust Plans CEO Post, Corporate-Style Management After Donation Theft Row
· Free Press Journal
Ayodhya: 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.
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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 Dr Anil Mishra served without remuneration.
The trust also intends to improve transparency by making information about its administrative functioning and financial management more accessible to devotees.
Govind Dev Giri said the donation theft case had highlighted the need for professional management.
Karnataka Govt Denies Prosecution Permission to 4 Cops in Bitcoin Scam Case"When the trust was formed, we did not realise that professional management would eventually become necessary. The donation theft incident made us realise the need for it. The CEO will be accountable to the trust and not to the government. Therefore, a retired IAS officer or a person with equivalent qualifications will be appointed to this post," Giri said.
Trust officials said the July 6 meeting concluded that stronger day-to-day monitoring of temple affairs had become essential as most trustees live outside Ayodhya and visit only periodically. A full-time CEO, they said, would ensure continuous supervision of the temple's operations.
The CEO's immediate priorities will include implementing the recommendations of the Special Investigation Team probing the donation theft case, strengthening internal financial controls, introducing AI-enabled surveillance and facial recognition systems, and managing the temple's 24x7 operations. The CEO will also oversee construction work, interact with devotees, supervise staff deployment and coordinate media briefings.
The administrative overhaul follows serious observations made during the SIT probe and audit of the trust's finances. The audit found that the trust spent more than Rs 514 crore during the 2025-26 financial year, but several expenditure heads lacked detailed documentation. Expenditure on security, travel, welfare activities and special events was found to be inadequately recorded, prompting calls for stronger financial oversight.
The SIT also noted that CCTV footage from the donation counting room was automatically deleted after 45 days despite an earlier recommendation to preserve recordings for at least 180 days, making it impossible for investigators to access older footage during the probe.
The trust currently has deposits of Rs 1,876 crore in accounts with the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank. It has received Rs 3,264 crore through the Samarpan Nidhi campaign and Rs 582 crore in donations from devotees, of which Rs 2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and Rs 391 crore on management and operational expenses.
Trust officials said the proposed reforms are intended to build a modern, professionally managed institution capable of handling the growing scale of the Ram Temple while ensuring greater transparency, accountability and public confidence.