Badrinath donation row: Uttarakhand orders high-level probe into alleged irregularities, employee suspended
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Badrinath donation row: Uttarakhand orders high-level probe into alleged irregularities, employee suspended")
Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand. Photograph: (Wikimedia Commons)
At the direction of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state government constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the allegations and recommend steps to enhance transparency and accountability in the temple's donation management system.
The Uttarakhand government has directed a high-level probe in connection with the alleged irregularities in donations and offerings at the revered Badrinath Temple; however, the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has suspended an employee and filed an FIR over the matter.
Following Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's direction, the state government constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the allegations and recommend measures to enhance transparency and accountability in the temple's donation management system.
The panel will be headed by Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop and includes National Health Mission (NHM) Uttarakhand Managing Director Sandeep Tiwari and Jagat Singh Chauhan, Director (Finance) in the Office of the Director General, Medical & Health Department.
The committee has been empowered to seek assistance from government officials, financial experts and other specialists during the investigation. Along with examining the alleged irregularities, it will also suggest reforms to improve the transparency, efficiency and accountability of the donation management system at one of India's busiest pilgrimage centres.
Personal assistant suspended
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In response, the BKTC suspended a personal assistant posted in the chairman’s office, identified as Pramod Nautiyal, with immediate effect. The temple committee has also registered an FIR against amid an ongoing investigation. Authorities indicated that the action was taken to ensure a fair and impartial investigation while the allegations are examined.
The row surfaced after allegations that cash donations offered by devotees at the Badrinath Temple may have been diverted before they were formally collected in the donation boxes of the temple or treasury.
The accusation gained wider attention after a complaint was filed claiming that money offered by pilgrims was reportedly being diverted by certain employees despite being deposited through the directed procedure. Meanwhile, officials have not yet confirmed the amount of any financial loss, and the probe is likely to figure out any linked irregularities that took place and identify those responsible.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are analysing CCTV footage from the temple grounds alongside a strict review of donation logs, cash-handling protocols, and other crucial financial records. The inquiry will also evaluate the standard operating procedures that dictate how devotee offerings are collected, tallied, and audited.
The Badrinath Temple, a revered Hindu pilgrimage site and a key destination on the Char Dham Yatra circuit, draws lakhs of worshippers annually and generates significant donation volumes during the pilgrimage season.
