The Entire System Needs to Change: Nripendra Misra
He said there is a need to change the current management structure of the temple and hand over responsibilities to experienced people.
Nripendra Misra said, 'I have not formally given any suggestions, but I have shared my views in the media. It is my firm opinion that the entire management structure should be overhauled and handed over to experienced people.'
He further said that the current management works in a different manner. The people working there are volunteers. They have been informally told how to work, but there are no written orders, no defined responsibilities, and no proper distribution of work. Around 1,500 people are working in the premises.
Nripendra Misra said this incident is not only a challenge to the faith of devotees but also raises serious questions about all the different wings of the management.
### SOP was not followed
Regarding changes in the donation management system, he said, 'I have studied some documents from 2023 to 2025 which contain certain instructions. There is a kind of SOP. If it had been followed, we would not have had to see this day today.'
He pointed out that the SOP even specified what clothes the person doing the counting would wear, which were to be provided by SBI. Every time the person entered or exited, there was supposed to be a check. But from what he has informally learned, these instructions were not followed.
### Supervision was completely informal
Nripendra Misra said, 'When a woman offers her jewellery in front of God, she immediately puts it in the donation box. That is her faith. When the box is overturned for counting, rupees, coins, and valuable metals fall out. I believe there were serious shortcomings in the accounting of all three. Even more, the supervision — with two people from the bank and two from the trust — was completely informal.'
He added that when the collected donations were taken to the bank, the required control was also lacking. Both trust and vigilance, which are the two sides of management, suffered.
### On Champat Rai
When asked about Champat Rai, Nripendra Misra said, 'Champat Rai ji is a very cultured person. He has spent his entire life in an important organisation. He has dedicated every moment of his life to the organisation and the nation.'
He said that people have misused Champat Rai’s simplicity and humanity. The entire system ran on trust, and there has been a kind of backstabbing in that system.
### On CCTV
Regarding CCTV cameras installed in different departments, Nripendra Misra said that one set was installed by the police and intelligence department, and another by the trust on the advice of the police. There is a common control room under police control.
But for some specific places, the trust had also kept its own staff for monitoring. The donation room CCTV was under dual control — one with the trust and one with the police.
He expressed concern that CCTV footage is automatically erased after 45 days, which could create major difficulties in the investigation. He said the SIT will face challenges in determining the exact timeline and extent of the irregularities.
Nripendra Misra concluded by saying that the entire system needs to change, and responsibilities should be given to experienced and accountable people.
