Long working hours and strict supervision in the aftermath of the donation controversy compelled 23 cash-counting employees at the Ram temple to resign en masse as none of the employees was willing to revert to the housekeeping roles for which they were originally hired through an outsourced agency to provide additional manpower to the State Bank of India (SBI). HT reached out to the cash-counting staff who resigned.
“We were counting donation money at the Ram temple and were getting ₹14,000 per month. Now, the working hours have increased. After we protested, the Trust offered us housekeeping jobs for a monthly wage of ₹8,000,” said an employee of the cash-counting team, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Moving from cash-counting to sweeping jobs, alongside sharp cuts in wages (from ₹14,000 to ₹8,000), was not acceptable to us. Therefore, we resigned,” he added.
With the resignation of the 23 employees, only 13 personnel remain to carry out the cash-counting work at the temple.
Single 9-hour shift
After the donation-money theft allegations surfaced, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust rolled out strict protocols for the cash-counting staff. The Trust now wants only trained staff for the cash-counting work, according to people aware of the matter. The Trust consolidated what used to be two separate shifts (8am to 2pm and 3pm to 9pm) into a single nine-hour shift (9am to 6pm), a person associated with the Trust said.
Following the increase in working hours, the employees, who were being paid monthly wages of ₹14,000 each, demanded a raise but were denied by the Trust. Instead, the Trust offered to move them back to their housekeeping positions, for which they were originally hired through the Varanasi-based agency, Sainik Security Services. However, all of them refused.
{{/usCountry}}Following the increase in working hours, the employees, who were being paid monthly wages of ₹14,000 each, demanded a raise but were denied by the Trust. Instead, the Trust offered to move them back to their housekeeping positions, for which they were originally hired through the Varanasi-based agency, Sainik Security Services. However, all of them refused.
{{/usCountry}}According to the cash-counting staff, they faced an increased workload because smaller currency denominations became far more numerous after the donation theft controversy. They said devotees shifted significantly from higher currency notes to offering ₹10 and ₹20 notes.
“Previously, we handled 70 to 80 bundles of ₹500 notes. Now, we barely finish 15 bundles of ₹500 notes. The rest are small notes, making the counting process exhausting and heavily time-consuming,” said another staff member who resigned.
Ultra-strict security protocols
After the new anti-fraud rules were put in place, the employees had to wear pocketless clothes, undergo intense police verification, and sit on mattresses on the floor rather than on chairs to maintain total visibility under CCTV cameras.
Talking during counting hours was strictly banned. Furthermore, bathroom breaks, canteen visits, and personal movements were placed under aggressive electronic and manual surveillance.