The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has trashed the allegations surrounding the gold plating of the sanctum of Kedarnath Temple, labeling them as part of a calculated conspiracy. Harish Gaur, the temple’s media in-charge, asserted on Sunday that the acceptance of donations and the subsequent gold plating of the sanctum were carried out in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act of 1939, with the donors themselves taking responsibility for the task.
The clarification came after Santosh Trivedi, a senior priest at the Kedarnath Temple and vice-president of Char Dham Mahapanchayat, raised concerns about apparent irregularities in the gold layering work within the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. Trivedi alleged a substantial scam amounting to Rs 125 crore in the gold layering project at the Kedarnath Temple.
According to reports, a businessman donated 230 kg of gold to the temple, specifically for the purpose of adorning the sanctum sanctorum.
However, Trivedi contends that instead of gold, the sanctum sanctorum has been layered with brass.
Placing forth the sequence of events, Gaur said the donor himself wanted to embelish the temple’s sanctum with gold. The proposal was approved during a board meeting of the temple committee, and the necessary permissions were obtained from the State Government to proceed with the gold plating work. The entire project was conducted under the supervision of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India.
The temple committee emphasized that they had no direct involvement in the project’s execution. The donor took personal responsibility for the arrangement, commissioning jewellers to prepare copper plates, which were subsequently coated with layers of gold by their own team of skilled artisans. From the procurement of gold to the installation on the temple walls, every aspect was meticulously managed by the donor. Upon completion of the work, bills and vouchers were handed over to the BKTC through their appointed goldsmiths, and all transactions were dutifully recorded in the stock book, adhering to established regulations. The temple authorities further clarified that the donor did not impose any conditions on the BKTC or requested a certificate under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act regarding the donation.
Amidst the escalating controversy, Trivedi continues to assert that a staggering scam of Rs 125 crore has taken place and has called for a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities. The senior priest has even threatened to initiate protests against the accused if a fair and impartial probe is not promptly conducted.
In response to the allegations, the BKTC strongly refuted them, presenting the detailed breakdown of gold usage. The committee clarified that a total of 23,777.800 grams of gold, valued at approximately Rs 14.38 crore, was utilized for the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath Temple.