Agar Malwa (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 8 : Allegations of financial irregularities in the collection of donations and offerings at Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district have triggered a row, prompting the district administration to constitute a three-member inquiry committee.
The panel will investigate claims that a non-governmental committee collected cash and gold and silver offerings from devotees through private bank accounts, separate from the government-appointed temple management committee, and submit its probe report within seven days.
According to an order issued by Agar Malwa Collector Preeti Yadav on July 7, the inquiry committee will be headed by District Panchayat Chief Executive Officer B S Solanki, while District Treasury Officer Manish Solanki and Nalkheda Municipal Council Chief Municipal Officer Mini Agrawal have been appointed as members.
"According to the complaints and allegations received regarding the Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda, a non-governmental committee is alleged to have been separately collecting donations from devotees in the form of cash and gold and silver ornaments within the temple premises, independent of the government-appointed temple management committee. Serious allegations have also been made regarding the use of private bank accounts and financial irregularities. In view of the need for a fair and comprehensive inquiry into the matter, a three-member joint inquiry committee has been constituted," the order read.
The Collector directed the committee to examine whether any non-governmental or unregistered committee operated a parallel system for collecting donations and offerings within the temple premises. Along with this, also verify receipt books, bank accounts and other records to ascertain the quantity of cash, gold and silver received and scrutinise the financial accounts.
Besides examining the financial records, the panel has been tasked to determine whether any government official, employee, temple management functionary or any other individual was involved in or responsible for the alleged irregularities.
The Collector further instructed the committee to immediately inspect the temple premises, collect necessary evidence, record statements of concerned persons and submit its report and observations within seven days.