Nearly two dozen staff members of the Ram Temple donation‑counting team have quit en masse, citing salary reductions, extended working hours and fewer leaves. The resignations come as a Special Investigation Team continues probing the donation theft case that has already led to several arrests and senior trust officials stepping down.

मुख्य बिंदु (Key Takeaways)

  • About 24 donation‑counting staff resigned simultaneously
  • Allegations: salary cuts, shift length increased from 6 to 9 hours
  • SIT investigation ongoing; senior trust officers also stepped down

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya is facing an unprecedented staffing crisis. Approximately two dozen employees responsible for counting and recording temple donations have handed in their resignations in a coordinated move. Their primary grievances revolve around reduced salaries, longer workdays and a curtailment of paid leave.

Background and Ongoing Probe

Irregularities in donation accounting were first flagged in early June 2026, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT quickly uncovered prima facie evidence of embezzlement, resulting in multiple arrests and the resignation of senior trustees such as Champat Rai and Anil Mishra.

Staff Grievances in Detail

According to the resigning employees, the earlier two‑shift system—limiting daily duty to six hours—has been replaced by a single nine‑hour shift. Simultaneously, monthly salaries were trimmed, with disparate pay scales applied to staff performing identical duties. The number of sanctioned leave days was also reduced, intensifying workplace stress.

Trust’s Reform Blueprint

In response, the Trust announced sweeping reforms slated to begin on July 22. The overhaul targets donation management, security protocols, crowd‑control mechanisms and the darshan experience. To ensure credibility, the Trust is consulting Ramanandi scholars and saints, aiming to make the new framework transparent, organized and devotee‑friendly.

Looking Ahead

Recruitment of fresh counting staff will commence shortly, but stringent verification processes may delay full staffing. Investigators have also revealed misuse of digital IDs issued to trustees, allowing certain individuals—most notably a suspect named Tinnu Yadav—to generate unauthorized VIP darshan passes for profit. These revelations add another layer of complexity to the Trust’s accountability challenge.