The Uttarakhand High Court has sought responses from the state government and the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) within three weeks in connection with an alleged misuse of funds meant for temple renovation works between 2012 and 2017.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay. The court was considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Rishikesh resident Amit Sharma.
In his petition, Sharma alleged that funds released between 2012 and 2017 for the renovation and restoration of the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples were misused. He claimed that the funds were also spent on temples that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.
The petitioner further alleged that several employees were appointed without due approval and that individuals were engaged in temple services in violation of established rules and regulations. The plea seeks a detailed investigation into the alleged financial irregularities.
During the hearing, it was pointed out that the court had earlier directed the state government and the temple committee to submit their replies. However, no response has yet been filed. The state government and BKTC requested additional time to present their responses before the court.
Taking note of the submissions, the High Court granted three weeks’ time for filing replies and listed the matter for further hearing thereafter.
