You could call it a test of faith at the Ayodhya Ram Temple as the rules for handling donations are made more stringent. With accusations of wrongdoing in the air, the new way of doing things is not for show; it is to make sure that one of the most closely watched religious trusts in the country remains beyond reproach in the eyes of its donors and others with a stake in the matter.
Why the overhaul is in order
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has put some hard-line safeguards in place to plug the holes a Special Investigation Team pointed out. The SIT was quite clear on where the standard operating procedures had fallen short, and that has put the whole donation side of operations in a spotlight.
Then there is the UP Police looking into some of the trust’s senior personnel, which has upped the ante on reputation. The Trust is moving to put that right and show a firmer hand on the financials.
What you can see to keep things from leaking out
Counting agents will be in a sky-blue, pocketless uniform held in place by a neck chain. There is a room set aside for them to put these on and take them off, and only in that space.
Getting in means being checked. Staff are frisked before they change, and then again before they can get to the counting room. Even if an agent has to step out for a break, the same holds true when they come back in.
In the secure hall
The hall has been put in order for the sake of transparency. No mobile, no camera, no bag – nothing of a personal nature is permitted. Shoes have to be left behind at the door.
There is also a change in how the work is done: staff are no longer at tables but on the floor. The Trust sees this as a way to put people’s minds at ease when it comes to how donations are handled.
Safeguards in brief
The new rules are all about discipline and having a physical hold on the process. Here is what has changed:
– Uniforms without pockets, with a neck chain
– A room for staff to change in
– Frisking twice, every time
– An outright ban on phones, cameras and bags
– Counting on the floor for all to see
– No shoes past the entry point
The flow of funds and the hands on it
The PFC, 200 metres or so from the main temple, is where the system is based. Down in the basement of that building, in the counting room, is where the day’s takings from some 35 boxes are added up.
It is a two-shift operation, 8 to 2 and 2 to 8, with 20 tellers or so on duty. With limited access, it leaves a paper trail on who was there and when.
An audit and what comes after
The SIT has called for a new look at the books of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The review is to go back five years and have a close at what has been spent on construction.
That means everything from cash to gold, silver and other valuables will be under the microscope. It is a sign that both the money and the in-kind gifts are going to be put through their paces.
A matter of risk and confidence
Donors are wary of any kind of governance let-up. When there are whispers of misappropriation, it sours the mood and brings in more scrutiny. But with controls that can be vouched for, there is a chance to steady nerves and make for less of a black box in the operation.
Put these measures in place and the donation side of the house will have the kind of accountability it needs. Not following through would only leave the hard questions and the uncertainty to fester.
