With the recent finding of cash and valuables at Puttaparthi, it is being suggested by many that the trust be run on the lines of TTD at Tirumala.
While I do not want to comment on the way the funds received through ‘Hundi’ at TTD are managed, I strongly feel that the system of receiving cash in the Hundi itself needs to be changed. I respect the sentiments of people who put small change or even a few tens of rupees either in the Archaka’s plate or the Hundi. There is no problem with that.
It is the large bundles of cash and valuables which are dumped that should not be accepted by the authorities. We hear of large amounts – tens of lakhs or sometimes even a crore being found during the daily ritual of counting the collections.
Since the person depositing the cash and its source are unknown, the amount has to be considered as black money. Why should any trust, even if it is in the name of a God, be allowed to deal with black money?
The system of collection may be modified. A few suggestions.
1. Provide boxes instead of the large open vessels as Hundi.
2. Provide only a small slot at the top permitting a single note or coins to pass through.
3. Most devotees (especially those who form the regular queue) will not be affected by this.
4. Large contributions should be accepted only through a bank transfer. If it makes the contributors feel happier for sentimental reasons, they can deposit the counterfoil of the transaction in the Hundi.
5. In the present scenario of net banking and wire transfers, the procedure will not inconvenience anyone who wants to deposit legal money.
6. The TTD board, bankers and IT department should give an assurance that the information will not be made public unless something is amiss in the IT returns. This way the contribution will remain anonymous, as it should be (Gupt Daan).
7. This will also result in more transparency in the accounts of the board while reducing their (and the bankers’) burden of counting large amounts of cash everyday.
If there is a sharp dip in the collections, we can be sure that it is not because of the inconvenience due to the system but that the amounts collected previously were ill-gotten money.
If it results in the reduction in the number of such VIP guests it will make darshan easier for the common people.
God can do without money - of any colour and he surely wouldn’t want it in black.
From India, Madras
1While I do not want to comment on the way the funds received through ‘Hundi’ at TTD are managed, I strongly feel that the system of receiving cash in the Hundi itself needs to be changed. I respect the sentiments of people who put small change or even a few tens of rupees either in the Archaka’s plate or the Hundi. There is no problem with that.
It is the large bundles of cash and valuables which are dumped that should not be accepted by the authorities. We hear of large amounts – tens of lakhs or sometimes even a crore being found during the daily ritual of counting the collections.
Since the person depositing the cash and its source are unknown, the amount has to be considered as black money. Why should any trust, even if it is in the name of a God, be allowed to deal with black money?
The system of collection may be modified. A few suggestions.
1. Provide boxes instead of the large open vessels as Hundi.
2. Provide only a small slot at the top permitting a single note or coins to pass through.
3. Most devotees (especially those who form the regular queue) will not be affected by this.
4. Large contributions should be accepted only through a bank transfer. If it makes the contributors feel happier for sentimental reasons, they can deposit the counterfoil of the transaction in the Hundi.
5. In the present scenario of net banking and wire transfers, the procedure will not inconvenience anyone who wants to deposit legal money.
6. The TTD board, bankers and IT department should give an assurance that the information will not be made public unless something is amiss in the IT returns. This way the contribution will remain anonymous, as it should be (Gupt Daan).
7. This will also result in more transparency in the accounts of the board while reducing their (and the bankers’) burden of counting large amounts of cash everyday.
If there is a sharp dip in the collections, we can be sure that it is not because of the inconvenience due to the system but that the amounts collected previously were ill-gotten money.
If it results in the reduction in the number of such VIP guests it will make darshan easier for the common people.
God can do without money - of any colour and he surely wouldn’t want it in black.
From India, Madras
Dear Mr. Lakshminarayanan
Our country is not a poor country. The Proof are coming one by one. Earlier days only Tirupathi was only example, Now 2 months back Puttaparthi issue came out and crores of rupees came out, Now Trivandrum Padmanabha Swami Temple having more than 5 lakh crores worth (3 Rajas & 2 Air India) jewelry available. These jewelry can be justified. But our currency is kept idle without any movement is not acceptable and depositing with Foreign Banks is not at all tolerable.
Instead of concentrating in Temples and its properties, let the government concentrate on the inordinant wealth acquired by our politicians and bring it back to our economy so that our economy may be strengthened.
As said by you, Large amount donations should be transferred to temple account through bank only and not on cash. A CCTV must be fixed in front of the hundi and whoever depositing huge amount in Bundles should be enquired about the fund flow, and how it got generated should be enquired, so that the corruption can be minimised.
From India, Kumbakonam
Our country is not a poor country. The Proof are coming one by one. Earlier days only Tirupathi was only example, Now 2 months back Puttaparthi issue came out and crores of rupees came out, Now Trivandrum Padmanabha Swami Temple having more than 5 lakh crores worth (3 Rajas & 2 Air India) jewelry available. These jewelry can be justified. But our currency is kept idle without any movement is not acceptable and depositing with Foreign Banks is not at all tolerable.
Instead of concentrating in Temples and its properties, let the government concentrate on the inordinant wealth acquired by our politicians and bring it back to our economy so that our economy may be strengthened.
As said by you, Large amount donations should be transferred to temple account through bank only and not on cash. A CCTV must be fixed in front of the hundi and whoever depositing huge amount in Bundles should be enquired about the fund flow, and how it got generated should be enquired, so that the corruption can be minimised.
From India, Kumbakonam
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