Deoghar: A conflict has started over the rights over the management of Baba Baidyanath Dham of Deoghar and Basukinath Temple of Dumka.
Jharkhand State Hindu Religious Trust Board has sent notices to DC of Deoghar and SDO of Dumka asking them to send audit reports and councilor fees.
In the notice that both the temples used to send audit reports and councilor fees to the Trust Board every year.
But Baidyanath temple management stopped paying fees after the year 2016-17 and Basukinath temple management stopped paying the fees after the year 2015-16.
The board had sent this notice on December 22 last year saying that if the audit report and council fee were not received within 15 days, legal action would be taken.
The period of this notice is about to end. In the notice sent to Dumka SDO, the board has said that Basukinath Temple Trust Committee is obliged to send the audit report of income and expenditure, budget details and councilor fees to the board every year.
The board has already issued notices on this issue six times.
On the other hand, Deoghar SDO, working as the administrator of Baidyanath temple, says that the Shrine Board looks after the arrangements of this temple throughout the year.
But Trust Board Superintendent Ashok Rai denies this.
He says that the Shrine Board is limited only to the successful organization of Shravani Mela.
Notice has been sent to Baba Baidyanath Dham and Basukinath Temple Committee asking them to submit an audit report and council fee.
Be it a small monastery-temple or a big one, the rules are the same for everyone.
The Math-Temple Committee will have to follow the instructions of the Board.
If this is not done, the board is free to take legal action, said, Jai Shankar Pathak, Chairman, Jharkhand State Hindu Religious Trust Board
The Shrine Board meeting has not been held for almost three years.
As administrator, DC – SDO of Deoghar is responsible for the operation and development work of the temple.
The board had sent a letter regarding other properties of Deoghar, on which action was also taken.
The audit report is sent to senior officials attached to the Shrine Board, said, Deepankar Chaudhary, SDO, Deoghar
In the year 2002, after hearing the petition filed regarding the disorder of Baba Baidyanath Dham, the High Court had formed a new committee.
The work was monitored by the High Court itself.
In the year 2015, a new act was brought for the development of Baba Baidyanath Dham and Basukinath Temple.
Notification of Baba Baidyanath Dham-Basukinath Teerth Area Development Authority Act-2015 was issued on 8 February 2016.
After the new Act came into force, the Religious Trust Board no longer had any authority over both the temples, said Ajit Kumar, former Advocate General, Jharkhand.