New donations, old receipts: Staffer suspended from Pandharpur temple

New donations, old receipts: Staffer suspended from Pandharpur temple

This year, on July 12, the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi, the temple issued receipts for over Rs 25 lakh in donations, many of which were issued from an outdated receipt book.

FPJ BureauUpdated: Wednesday, July 17, 2019, 07:33 AM IST
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Pandharpur: Ashadhi Ekadashi is the day when lakhs of Vitthal devotees throng the temple and generously donate in exchange for divine bounty.

This year, on July 12, the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi, the temple issued receipts for over Rs 25 lakh in donations, many of which were issued from an outdated receipt book.

An inquiry has been set up after it was highlighted that a staffer was issuing old receipts to the devotees. Vithoba is the presiding deity of the state, but his temple is being run in a lackadaisical manner.

Devotees have complained, the temple authorities, instead of revamping the system, are trying to cover up the episode and are rewarding such errant staffers by giving them permanent positions.

A staffer, Siddheshwar Ghayal, was found to be issuing receipts from books dating back to 2001, to thousands of devotees in the temple. It was an alert devotee from Parbhani who noticed that his receipt looked different from those of others. He brought it to the notice of Waman Yelmar, a policeman deployed in the temple.

Yelmar scrutinised the CCTV camera footage of the temple and saw that Ghayal was issuing receipts from old receipt books and had collected thousands of rupees from devotees in this manner.

After Yelmar brought this issue to the notice of temple trustees, the only action they took was to suspend Ghayal, refusing to file a police complaint against him.

Even though news of this incident surfaced on July 9, temple authorities have failed to file a First Information Report against Ghayal. Devotees have been shocked with the inaction shown by the temple authorities, especially since the temple got over Rs 25 lakh collection in the past three days.

In the past, there was another instance, in which there had been a huge discrepancy in the sale of ladoos and now, it is to do with donations, said devotees and hoped that temple authorities would take serious cognisance of such incidents.

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