- Employee Pramod Nautiyal suspended after alleged donation irregularities at Badrinath Dham
- BKTC formed a four-member panel to investigate the donation management allegations
- Uttarakhand govt set up a three-member probe panel headed by Garhwal Division Commissioner
An employee of Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) was suspended after a four-member team on Tuesday began its investigation into alleged irregularities in the management of donations at Badrinath Dham.
BKTC is a statutory body which manages Badrinath temple and other shrines in Uttarakhand.
BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi stated that the employee, Pramod Nautiyal, was suspended after a preliminary inquiry indicated prima facie irregularities.
Nautiyal was serving as a private secretary within the temple committee.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has also constituted its own probe committee on the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
The three-member committee will be headed by Garhwal Division Commissioner.
According to the government order, the committee will submit its investigation report and recommendations to the government within 15 days.
Dwivedi emphasised that the BKTC maintains a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, and if any employee is found guilty during the investigation, strict departmental and legal action will be taken against them.
The issue gained attention after allegations of irregularities during the counting of offerings at Badrinath Dham surfaced on social media. Subsequently, an organisation named 'Bhairav Sena' lodged a complaint demanding an inquiry and the registration of an FIR.
Following this, BKTC formed a four-member panel last week. The team included Finance Controller Hem Kandpal, Legal Officer SS Bartwal, Chief Administrative Officer Rajan Naithani, and Kedarnath's Senior Administrative Officer DS Bhujwan.
The committee initiated the investigation based on CCTV footage, statements from the concerned employees, and other relevant documents.
Amid similar accusations of theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the emergence of such allegations at Badrinath Dham has led the Congress to criticise the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in the state.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal demanded a judicial inquiry or a probe by a joint committee of the Legislative Assembly into the entire matter.
