RAM Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra on Sunday stated that the responsibilities and powers of the first-ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ayodhya temple will be determined by the temple Trust. The primary responsibility of the CEO will be to uphold the faith of the devotees in the trust, he said. “The new CEO will also oversee financial arrangements,” Mishra told reporters in Ayodhya, adding that there won’t be any “Government interference” in the functioning of the trust or its CEO. Mishra added that ensuring that devotees visiting Ayodhya receive all necessary amenities and maintaining their trust in the temple will be among the new CEO’s initial responsibilities.

 

“In a way, the CEO will work as an assistant of the trust, sans Government interference,” Mishra said, noting that a threemember panel has been set up to recommend suitable candidates for the CEO’s post to the trust. Ultimately, it is up to the trust to determine how much authority to delegate to the CEO, who will be responsible for arranging their own staff, while everything remains under the trust’s purview, Mishra stated. Misra said on Sunday that devotees are continuing to throng the temple without any signs of “hesitation or distrust” in the system despite the recent donation row. Misra s aid he has no data on the flow of devotees since the row, but there are no indications of a dip in the number of people offering prayers daily. On July 6, the trust announced a three-member committee to screen candidates for the CEO’s post.