New Delhi, July 22 — The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Trust was holding a crucial meeting in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday to appoint a new General Secretary, fill three vacant positions in the Trust and deliberate on shortlisting and finalising the name of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
However, a decision regarding the selection of Temple Trust CEO, the first in its history, is unlikely given the humongous number of applications for the post.
The Trust had invited applications for the CEO post till July 18.
According to Trust sources, an overwhelming number of applications have been received for the CEO post, and it is impossible to screen all of them in such a small span of time.
Some reports estimated the number of applications between 2,500 and 5,500; however, no official figures have been announced or confirmed by the Trust.
According to officials, the selection process is in initial stages, with scrutiny of applications underway by the selection committee.
The panel will first screen candidates based on their profile, and the shortlisted candidates will then be called for an in-person interview with the committee, before finalising three probable names.
The Temple Trust meeting is also likely to deliberate on the appointment of a new general secretary, besides filling three vacancies in the Trust.
The Trust developed three vacancies after the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra in the wake of the donation theft case and the demise of trustee Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra.
Announcements regarding new appointments for these three positions are expected during the meeting, said sources.
Additionally, Krishna Mohan, the interim general secretary of the Temple Trust, may also be elevated to permanent rank.
The meeting is considered crucial because of the proposed overhaul and its impact on the future functioning of the Ram Mandir Trust.
For the unversed, this is for the first time that the temple trust will have a CEO with defined responsibilities and accountability. A three-member committee was formed after the July 6 meeting to shortlist three names and submit them to the Teerth Kshetra.
The Trust will then entrust the responsibility of the newly created CEO position to one of these candidates.
Subsequently, with the approval of the Teerth Kshetra Trust, the CEO will appoint their own staff, including a secretary. The new CEO will be responsible for overseeing daily temple operations and managing the staff.