Ayodhya: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust that oversees the management and operations of the Ram temple on Wednesday appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first CEO, former treasurer Govind Dev Giri as new general secretary and Mahesh Bhagchandka as treasurer at a meeting held here.
Mishra, who headed the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, was selected from a shortlist of three candidates after the trust’s selection committee scrutinised 5,585 applications, trust officials said.
The trust also inducted Madan Mohan Pandey of Ayodhya, Bhagchandka of Delhi and Dr Nirmala Yadav of Shikohabad as new trustees.
The meeting was held in two sessions, with the newly inducted trustees joining the second session online, interim secretary Krishna Mohan said.
Mishra, who hails from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, has served in the Indian Air Force receiving several military decorations, including the Yudh Seva Medal.
Pandey is an advocate who represented Ram Lalla Virajman in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, while Yadav is a retired college principal and academician.
According to a statement issued by the trust, the selection committee was tasked with shortlisting three candidates for the CEO’s post within a month.
Krishna Mohan said the committee submitted three names including that of Air Marshal Mishra. After considering the three names, the trust decided to appoint Mishra as its first CEO, he said.
The other shortlisted candidates were retired Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Bisht and Shruti Hardwari.
The meeting was attended by the trust’s president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Giri and other trustees, while several members participated online.
Giri said Krishna Mohan had played a crucial role in steering the trust through “troubled times”.
He said the trust may appoint a joint CEO or deputy CEO if required and would prepare an SOP specifying the CEO’s duties and responsibilities.
“We have to make Ayodhya the world’s cultural capital. We will not leave any stone unturned for this,” he added.
The changes in the trust’s administrative structure come amid allegations of theft of donations at the Ram temple, which prompted the trust to review and strengthen its financial and administrative mechanisms.
Trust’s then general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned after the controversy and an SIT was formed to investigate the incident.
Eight persons involved in the counting of donations were arrested in the donation theft case following initial report of the SIT.
