Bring in tech, cut human role: Ram Temple Trust explores new counting process for donations

As the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust undergoes a major administrative shake-up following the alleged theft of donations at the temple in Ayodhya, it is planning to reduce human intervention and instead use technology to make the counting process more efficient.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the Trust members discussed proposals from an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and two banks to explore “a technology-based system to count cash offerings” at the Ram Temple.

“The proposals submitted by the IIT and the two banks will be examined by the Trust, following which a decision will be taken on taking it forward,” an official of the Trust said, adding that other financial matters were also discussed at the meeting.

The move comes as the Ram Temple, which draws a large number of devotees since its inception in January 2024, has to deal with increasingly high volumes of offerings. Bringing technology into the cash-counting process is part of the Trust’s broader effort to strengthen its administrative and financial systems in the wake of the donation theft scandal.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the embezzlement, in its report, flagged key lapses that led to the theft of cash and valuables by employees engaged in the counting of donations.

After allegations of theft of donated funds and valuables blew up in June this year, several security measures were introduced for counting agents, including pocketless gowns, dedicated changing areas, repeated frisking, and tighter CCTV oversight.

So far, Ayodhya police have arrested eight men – six counting agents, a driver for former general secretary of the Trust, Champat Rai, and a retired bank employee who was in charge of the donation-counting shifts.

Meanwhile, the temple Trust welcomed the Supreme Court’s July 27 order directing the UP government to bring in an independent forensic auditor to the SIT probe into the alleged donation theft.

The Trust said the apex court’s order set out the scope and time period of the SIT probe, besides specifying the matters to be investigated. “It will help establish the truth and remove any confusion among the public,” the Trust said.

Calling for an “impartial and above board” probe, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had said that the SIT has access to the temple Trust’s financial records and would look into it, with the court’s focus remaining on the quality and credibility of the investigation.

The Trust also approved its annual accounts for the 2025-26 financial year. According to the accounts, the Ram Temple had an income of Rs 237 crore and expenditure totalling Rs 99 crore during the 2025-26 financial year.

It incurred a further expenditure of Rs 425 crore on construction and other works. As on March 31, 2026, the Trust had Rs 1,882 crore in total available funds. Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow.

With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development.

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She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity.

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