In a development that will help streamline in the long run the administration of a trust managing the affairs of the famous Shirdi temple in Ahmednagar district, the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Government to set up a new committee to govern the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust in accordance with the new rules framed by it.
Hearing a couple of public interest litigations, a HC bench of Justices AV Nirgude and Naresh Patil noted: "Considering the magnitude of the administration of the trust, a committee of deserving and competent persons is required to be constituted, which would administer the affairs of the trust efficiently and sincerely".
Elaborating on the need for constituting a new committee to administer the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi, the two judges observed: "The State would certainly be conscious of the fact that sentiments of millions of people around the globe are very closely attached with the shrine of Shri Sai Baba in Shirdi".
In their order given on May 2, the two judges ruled that the ad hoc committee, appointed by the high court on March 30 last year, shall continue to operate for two weeks from the date of the order.
In the event of the State Government appointing a new committee after a period of two weeks from May 2, the ad hoc committee would cease to operate from the date of coming into existence of the State-appointed committee, the HC bench noted.
The judges, however, mandated the ad hoc committee against taking any major financial decisions till the new committee was constituted. They asked the ad hoc committee to adhere to the restrictions imposed by the court earlier in this regard.
While disposing of the two PIls, the HC bench said that the observations made in respect of submissions made regarding the statutory rules would be construed as prima facie in nature and would not affect the rights of contesting parties if they resorted to challenge the rules independently.
The high court had, through an order given on March 30, 2012, appointed an adhoc committee comprising Principal Judge of Ahmednagar district, the Collector of Ahmednagar and the Chief Executive Officer of Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, to manage the affairs of the temple trust. This ad hoc committee has been governing the temple trust since then.