An audit report from November 2020 highlighted serious shortcomings in the management of donations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, including the absence of systematic records. The findings came six years before a Special Investigation Team submitted its preliminary report on the matter to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust was formed on February 5, 2020. Within months, an audit firm examined its fund and data management systems after being approached for advice on internal audit and risk management.
The November 2020 report described the management as highly unprofessional and stated there was no systematic record for financial reporting. It recommended drafting a Systematic Operating Process for each level of transaction to fix accountability and warned that unprofessional staff and data management would lead to dubious information.
The trust is estimated to have received around Rs 3,500 crore in cash donations. The audit also called for proper stock registers for in-kind donations such as jewellery and noted the lack of a qualified HR department and IT controls.
A source associated with the trust said the present situation could have been avoided if the concerns raised in the report had been addressed. The trust’s website makes no mention of any such SOP, and no internal audit reports are available on it.
