'Saibaba trust panel appointments given as reward to politicos'

The petitioner tells HC that that despite a previous court order, the state government appointed those with political affiliations and criminal antecedents to it

The appointment of the managing committee at the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST), the caretaker of one of the richest temples in the country, was challenged in the Bombay High Court yesterday.

In 2012, the court had stayed the appointment by the state government of a committee, whose members included people affiliated to political parties, like the Congress and the NCP.

The state government has again appointed a committee, which includes members of the BJP and Shiv Sena, the ruling parties in the state.

On July 28 this year, the principal secretary of law and judiciary department, with a notification, appointed 12 people on the board of the SSST, which is a statutory body formed under the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) Act, 2004.

The temple trust was governed by the charity commissioner’s office till 2004. The state government took over its activities that year.

Contravening order
The petitioner has claimed that despite the HC’s previous order against appointing those with criminal antecedents and political affiliations, the state government appointed made such appointments to the Sansthan’s committee.

“It was like a reward for some people who joined the BJP but lost the elections. They were given the posts at the Shirdi Sansthan.

The Shiv Sena, on the other hand, did not initially get any post in the committee, but they negotiated for them and managed to get two posts. So now, the BJP has 10 of its party workers on the committee and Sena has two,” said the petitioner, Surinder Arora, in the plea filed before Justices VM Kanade and MS Sonak.

Arora pointed out that politically-affiliated persons cannot be appointed to the committee as per the Shri Saibaba Sansthan (Shirdi) (Appointment of member of Managing Committee and Forums of Declaration) Rules, 2013.

He further claimed that the trust plans to mark the 100th death anniversary of Saibaba this year with a grand event. The executive officer has already put forth a budget of R3,100 crore for this, he added.

Arora also claimed that the state government wants to pocket a huge sum of money, and so, only people whom it favoured were appointed.

“The principal secretary signed the notification only at 11 pm on July 28, and a copy of the notification was made available the next day so that people could immediately take charge on a weekend,” said senior counsel Satish Talekar, who appeared for the petitioner.

Many influential people from areas near Shirdi, Nagar and Nashik had reportedly tried their best to be a part of the committee that was formed after 2012, when the HC dissolved the previous panel.

Justices Kanade and Sonak were told by the state government that its pleader, Abhinandan Vagyani, will present its side today. The matter was then adjourned.

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