Ram Mandir Donation Case: There was a strict protocol for counting the donations, ignoring the rules opened the way for manipulation!

Ayodhya Amidst the investigation into the alleged theft of offerings in the Ram temple, important information has come to light regarding the calculation system of the amount coming out of the donation boxes. According to sources, a detailed agreement (MoU) was signed between Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and State Bank of India (SBI) in February 2025, in which clear responsibilities were fixed to make the counting and deposit process of donations completely transparent and secure.

It is being told that many of the guidelines set in the agreement could not be followed regularly and effectively, which gave rise to the possibility of alleged irregularities.

The entire process was fixed from opening the donation box to counting.

As per the MOU, donation boxes were to be opened only in the joint presence of designated officials of the Trust and SBI. The operation of the counting room was also to be under the joint supervision of both the parties.

Dress code was prescribed for the employees engaged in enumeration and the entire process was to be conducted in accordance with the prescribed standards. However, according to sources, these arrangements were not effectively followed at every level.

There were also clear instructions on rotation and investigation of employees.

The agreement provided for monthly rotation of bank officials so that the same person did not hold sensitive responsibility for long.

Apart from this, instructions were also given to conduct regular and random searches of the employees coming and going to the counting room. There was also a arrangement to register the amount of each donation box separately and ensure sequential counting.

According to sources, these arrangements were also not fully followed.

Questions also raised on record verification and daily reporting

The MOU stipulated a clear procedure for verification of cash deposit slips, registers and daily reports. According to sources, questions have also come to light during the SIT investigation regarding the maintenance and verification process of records.

Had there been regular review, irregularities could have come to light earlier.

There was also a provision in the agreement that unnecessary cash should not be accumulated and it should be reviewed from time to time. Sources say that if this system had been implemented effectively, the alleged irregularities could have been detected earlier.

The responsibility of complete monitoring was on the Trust, but the investigation has also raised questions about the effectiveness of the monitoring system.

The entire system changed after the matter came to light

After the arrest of eight people in the case of theft of offerings, several changes have been made in the system of counting donations.

At present 39 employees are deployed to count the donations. Earlier this number was 45, whereas in the initial phase only 22 employees were engaged in this work. As the amount of offerings increased, the number of employees was also increased.

Now employees are being searched regularly, dress code has been enforced, a separate monitoring team has been deployed from the control room and the entire process is being videographed daily.

Major responsibilities of SBI as per MOU

– Depositing the amount received from donations into the trust’s bank account at the scheduled time.
– To conduct the entire calculation process as per the prescribed guidelines.
– To be responsible for operation and maintenance of note counting machines.
– To conduct regular reviews to avoid unnecessary cash accumulation.
– To appoint and supervise the staff engaged in enumeration.
– Ensuring monthly rotation of bank officers.

Key responsibilities of the Trust

– Maintaining transparency and authenticity by monitoring the entire calculation process.
– Verifying cash deposit slips, challans and related records.
– Providing necessary facilities and suitable working environment to the employees.

joint responsibilities

– Opening of donation boxes daily in the joint presence of nominated officials of the Trust and SBI.
– To ensure joint operation of the counting room and monitoring of the entire process.

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