Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Sacks Personal Assistant Over Alleged Donation Irregularity
BY Sunil Negi
Amid tremendous media pressure over alleged irregularities in donations at Badrinath Dham, the chief of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, Mr. Hemant Dwivedi, has ordered immediate suspension of his personal assistant. The action comes at a time when the issue of donation theft has sparked outrage across the country, particularly after more than eighty lakh rupees were allegedly siphoned off in Ayodhya, leading to the arrest of eight employees and the resignation of Ram Temple Trust secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.
In a major administrative action in the Badrinath Dham donation case, the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has suspended personal assistant Pramod Nautiyal with immediate effect after a four-member inquiry committee found prima facie indications of irregularity. During the suspension period, Nautiyal, who was promoted from a temporary employee, has been attached to the BKTSC office in Jyotirmath for a fair investigation.
Not only this but an FIR under the relevant sections of BNS has also been registered against Nautiyal by the concerned police police authority l and will have to confront the police interrogation as well.
BKTSC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that the faith of devotees and the sanctity of offerings made to God are the committee’s highest priority. As soon as the complaint was received, an explanation was sought from the concerned employee and a four-member committee was constituted for an impartial probe. After initial signs of irregularity emerged, the employee was suspended with immediate effect to ensure the departmental inquiry remains fair and transparent.
He made it clear that BKTSC follows a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on corruption, financial irregularities and matters linked to devotees’ faith. Whoever is found guilty in the investigation will face strict disciplinary and legal action as per rules.
BKTSC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad said that late Tuesday evening the inquiry committee examined the explanation submitted by Pramod Nautiyal but found it unsatisfactory at the prima facie stage. Following this, he was suspended till the completion of the probe and attached to the Jyotirmath office.
The temple committee has appealed to devotees not to believe in any misleading or unverified information. It assured that ensuring the safety, transparency and accountability of every rupee offered to God is its top responsibility, and any compromise with the faith of devotees will not be tolerated at any cost.
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