Now even an aam admi has a chance to become one of the trustees of the Saibaba Sansthan Trust, which manages the affairs of one of the richest temples in India — the Saibaba temple at Shirdi as the Aurangabad bench of high court disbanded the board of trust of Sai baba Sansthan three days ago.
The court has asked to form a new board comprising eight professionals from different backgrounds of society. Consequently, it is being seen as a good chance to become one the trustees with an experience of 10 years in the “professional category”. As per the court’s direction, the new board has to be formed by May 17, 2013.
An RTI activist and petitioner in the case, Sanjay Kale, has appealed to people to come forward and be a part of the trust. Mr Kale, who has also been keeping a close watch on the trust’s activity said, “Earlier, the trust had become a political rehabilitation centre for tainted netas, but due to the court’s direction, it has taken cognisance. We now hope that the government will formulate ‘Sansthan-friendly’ rules and not ‘neta-friendly’ rules.”
Earlier this week, the court had directed the law and judiciary department of the state to form a new board comprising of 17 trustees. Earmarking the categories, the court fixed that seven members must be from Saibaba Sansthan, who have life membership of the trust. It also fixed the stipulated the entry of politicians to one MP and one MLA.
The governing body of this Sansthan has always been in the dock for lavish expenditure and violation of the rules of Shree Saibaba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) Act. Hearing a writ petition, the Bombay high court on March 13 last year, had dissolved the 15-member committee of the trust and directed to appoint a new body.
The state government on March 27, 2012 set up a new committee, which was again challenged by the petitioners in the Aurangabad bench of the high court on the basis that the new committee had six members who were facing criminal charges.
In the final hearing of the petition on May 2, 2013, the bench disbanded the government’s committee and again asked the government to set up a new board, which accommodates eight professionals representing different class of society.