Jagran Correspondent | Ayodhya: In a major development in the Ram Mandir donation offerings theft case, regular bank employees will now be deployed for the counting of donation money.
The authorities are currently assessing the efficiency of the employees to determine if a smaller staff per shift can effectively manage the workload.
The decision follows a meeting two days ago at the Tirtha Shankara Bhawan between the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s treasurer, Govind Giri, and bank officials. During the meeting, the treasurer reaffirmed the temple trust’s confidence in the State Bank of India but emphasised that their ultimate goal is to ensure complete transparency in the counting system.
What Was Decided In The Meeting
During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the counting model which was used prior to the Maha Kumbh, noting that bank employees had previously managed the entire process. In response, bank management immediately started trials using the updated counting format. Local bank officials wanted to conduct these tasks during standard banking hours, which would optimise manpower and save operational costs for the bank.
At present, only 12 to 14 employees are conducting the regular counting as required. Previously, at least 40 outsourced workers were employed across two shifts. The issue intensified when a massive surge in devotees led to an influx of funds that temporarily placed handling responsibilities into private, outsourced hands. This systemic gap ultimately paved the way for the theft of offerings. According to an official, the new plan is to ensure that only regular bank employees conduct the counting process moving forward.
Major Changes In The Counting System
The temple authorities have decided to change the counting system from two to one shift. A trial for the same is underway.
When the counting was held in two shifts, the duration of each was for six hours. Now that the authorities announced a single shift for counting, the duration has been increased to nine hours.
At present, the donations are counted from 9 am to 6 pm. Necessary changes will be implemented as new rules will be announced for the counting process.