State appoints new committee for Shirdi temple

Following the Bombay high court (HC) directive, the state government appointed a new management committee for Shri Saibaba Temple Trust at Shirdi on Wednesday.

Following the Bombay high court (HC) directive, the state government appointed a new management committee for Shri Saibaba Temple Trust at Shirdi on Wednesday.

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The Aurangabad bench of the HC had, on March 13, directed the state government to form a new management committee within 15 days. The state controls the trust and nominates the committee.

Sharing seats, the ruling Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party retained former Congress legislator Jayant Sasane as the chairman of the trust. Agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has also been retained as part of the 16-member committee.

The HC had expressed its displeasure over the state government’s failure to constitute a new management committee despite the three-year term of the present committee including heavy-weights such as Sasane, Shankarrao Kolhe and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil expiring in August 2007.

Two Shirdi residents had approached the high court questioning the authority of the management committee.