Lucknow: A week after its emergency meeting following the donation theft controversy at the Ram Temple, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJBTK) on Monday invited applications for the post of its first chief executive officer (CEO).According to a notification posted on the trust’s X handle, the candidate must be an actively practising Hindu, while being a Ram devotee from the Vaishnava tradition will be considered desirable. Applicants should be graduates, aged between 50 and 70 years, and will be appointed for a three-year term. The last date for submission of applications is July 18.
The CEO will report to the trust’s general secretary and must have at least 20 years of managerial experience in a large public organisation, institution, government department or company. Experience in administration, finance, human resources, public relations, IT, security and legal affairs is required.“Preference will be given to candidates who have served as chief administrative officer or have experience in managing a temple or Hindu religious institution. Retired officers meeting the eligibility criteria may also apply,” it added.The notification has a 15-point annexure mentioning about the duties and responsibilities of the temple trust’s first CEO.As reported by TOI earlier, the SRJBTK, in its July 6 meeting, decided to rope in a CEO to administer the activities of the Ram temple. Bringing in professionals was deemed necessary as a major controversy erupted last month after it was found that six cash-counting agents had stolen money from the hundis (donation boxes) during the counting.As a result, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, the general secretary and trust member having administrative and financial powers, stepped down from their positions, and another trust member, Krishna Mohan, was appointed as interim general secretary at the meeting.A three-member search panel comprising retired high court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired lieutenant general Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and former nuclear scientist Suresh Haware, who is presently a member of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, was constituted on the same day to look for a suitable candidate. Constituted on Feb 5, 2020, the temple trust was overseeing the functioning of the Ram temple independently all this while.The position is open to individuals having a diverse background in managing key positions in both public and private organisations as well as retired govt officials. A candidate with a multidisciplinary background would be given preference.The monthly emoluments and payout would be finalised after the mutual discussions. The next meeting of the trust is scheduled to take place on July 22. The CEO is going to be responsible for coming up with standard operating procedures, systems and processes, as well as protocols required for various job functions and roles in the day-to-day working of the temple.The trust has also made it clear that all the conditions mentioned in the original trust deed would have to be followed, and approvals would have to be sought from the general secretary as well as permanent trust members before implementing any decision. The CEO would work independently under the supervision of the trust, said the job profile.Meanwhile, the website of the trust too has been updated to reflect the changes a week after the crucial meeting. Names and descriptions of eight trust members have been displayed, while those of Rai and Mishra have been removed from the portal. Similarly, names of four ex officio trust members (two representing UP govt and one representing central govt) are also mentioned along with that of former IAS Nripendra Mishra, the chairman of the construction committee, who has been appointed by the trust members.Among other issues, the trust members on July 22 could also take a decision on what needs to be done to fill three vacant positions. When the trust was constituted, it had 11 permanent members. Apart from Rai and Mishra, the third member, Raja Ayodhya Bimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, passed away in Aug last year.
