The high-powered committee appointed by the Supreme Court for managing the affairs of Banke Behari Temple in Vrindavan held its 15th monthly meeting. It stressed on the removal of encroachments in lanes leading to temple, listing of policemen deployed for more than 5 years within and near the temple, and said that ₹4.90 crore was offered by devotees at the temple in last 3 months.
Allahabad high court retired justice Ashok Kumar heading the committee addressed the media late on Wednesday evening and said that on counting the money in the ‘gullak’ (locked box) placed in front of the idol, the amount was ₹4.90 crore.
“The enhanced timings for Darshan, as suggested by the committee and endorsed by four representatives of the Goswami community in committee, is being followed. The tradition of ‘phool bangla’ (an offering of flowers by devotees) is continuing and such decoration made on the basis of charges paid by devotees as mark of devotion to Thakur Ji is continuing and 80 lakh have been collected on account of phool bangla,” he said.
“There is steady progress in sale deeds being executed in favour of the proposed corridor and four more sale deeds were executed by willful owners coming ahead to transfer their land for the purpose of the proposed corridor. These sale deeds were endorsed by the committee,” Kumar said.
“The working of the security agency deployed on the temple premises was also reviewed in view of recent incidents of clashes with devotees. Barring these few incidents, the working of the agency was found satisfactory and is to continue for two more months in compliance with the old arrangement.
{{/usCountry}}“The working of the security agency deployed on the temple premises was also reviewed in view of recent incidents of clashes with devotees. Barring these few incidents, the working of the agency was found satisfactory and is to continue for two more months in compliance with the old arrangement.
{{/usCountry}}“However, it has been decided to change the colour of dress worn by security agency personnel which is to be changed from black to yellow to match the religious ambience on temple premises,” said the retired justice.
However, he was critical of the mismanagement near the temple because of e rickshaws stopping near entry points and said that the police, administration and RTO have been apprised about it.
“Many private players have bought car parking lots by placing boards of Mathura Vrindavan Nagar Nigam which need to be checked. Additional municipal commissioner and SP City have been asked to act against these,” said Kumar.
Justice (retired) Ashok Kumar said that the SP City has been asked to make a list of such policemen stationed for more than 5 years at Banke Behari temple.
Again he pointed out the inferior quality of ‘peda’ (popular sweet of Mathura) being sold near the temple premises and said that a team of FSDA from Agra has been asked to check the quality of ‘khoya’ used in making of the famous peda of Mathura.
He said that a deadline of May 30 has been set for enlisting items lying in almirah and ‘gullak’ on the temple premises. He said that the matter relating to income tax refund and pending since 2013-14, has been taken up, and out of the pending refund amount of ₹5 crore, half i.e. ₹2.5 crore is to be received soon, while the rest shall be adjusted legally. This delay in refund will fetch extra ₹1 crore as interest to the temple, he claimed.