Lucknow: Ahead of its July 6 meeting, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is considering a sweeping overhaul of its financial management and donation-handling system following the alleged donation theft case, sources said. Among the key proposals under examination is the possible termination of the Trust’s existing banking arrangement with the State Bank of India (SBI). Sources familiar with the deliberations said the Trust is weighing a plan to shift its accounts to another public or private sector bank as part of a broader restructuring of financial oversight and controls.The contemplated changes follow the alleged siphoning of donation money that led to multiple probes by the Uttar Pradesh Police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The case has also prompted the Trust to review gaps in supervision and security around donation counting and banking operations.Sources said the Trust is planning to move away from its existing outsourcing model for donation counting and related operations, replacing it with a dedicated in-house professional team. The proposed permanent workforce would include chartered accountants, management graduates, retired bank officials and experienced banking personnel tasked with supervising donation counting, accounting and overall financial management.Officials involved in the discussions believe a professionally managed structure would improve oversight, create clearer lines of responsibility and reduce the scope for irregularities in handling temple donations. Retired bankers are expected to be assigned a key supervisory role if the proposal is approved, with tighter scrutiny of daily reconciliation, cash movement and deposit processes.Alongside financial reforms, the Trust is also considering additional digital security and access-control measures for staff involved in donation handling. Sources said proposals include issuing uniforms and QR code-enabled identity cards embedded with digital security features, as well as introducing a digital entry-exit monitoring system to maintain electronic records of personnel movement inside the counting centre.Sources said donation counting is now being carried out with staff seated on the floor, and four additional personnel have been deployed specifically to monitor the process. Of nearly 40 personnel previously engaged in donation counting, only 15-20 have been reporting regularly amid the ongoing investigation, sources said. Employees are now subjected to double frisking before entry and are allowed inside only barefoot, without mobile phones or personal belongings. They are also screened at multiple checkpoints within the temple complex.Earlier, workers could enter the facility with fewer checks by producing Trust-issued identity cards. Final decisions on the proposed financial restructuring and security reforms are expected to be taken in the Trust’s meeting. The Trust has not officially confirmed the proposals.
