LUCKNOW/AYODHYA: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday inducted three new trustees and carried out a key reshuffle of its office-bearers, elevating Swami Govind Dev Giri as general secretary and appointing Delhi-based businessman and philanthropist Mahesh Bhagchandka as treasurer. Bhagchandka is one of the three newly inducted members of the trust.The appointments, approved at the Trust’s meeting in Ayodhya, fill all vacant positions in the governing body and mark a significant organisational transition as the Trust moves towards a more structured administrative framework with the selection of its first chief executive officer on .The new trustees, apart from Bhagchandka, are advocate Madan Mohan Pandey and educationist Dr Nirmala Yadav, bringing experience in philanthropy, law, education and public life to the board.Govind Dev Giri, who had been serving as treasurer since the trust’s formation in 2020, has been elevated to the position of general secretary following the exit of Champat Rai from the Trust’s executive structure. Dr Krishna Mohan, who had been functioning as interim general secretary since July 6, will continue as a trustee.Officials associated with the Trust described the developments as an important step towards strengthening the institution’s governance as the Ram temple complex expands its administrative, religious and pilgrim-management responsibilities.Bhagchandka, 68, is founder-trustee of the Ashok Singhal Foundation and is closely associated with initiatives linked to the legacy of late VHP leader Ashok Singhal, one of the most prominent faces of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. A Delhi-based businessman, Bhagchandka participated as a yajman during both the bhoomi pujan and pran pratishtha ceremonies of the Ram temple.His association with Ram-related cultural initiatives includes work connected with the Shri Ram Van Gaman Yatra and the installation of Ram Stambhs at 292 sacred sites associated with Lord Ram’s exile route. He is also a member of the executive committee of the World Hindu Economic Forum.Trust insiders believe Bhagchandka’s experience in managing diversified business interests and his long association with socio-religious organisations will be valuable as the temple management expands its institutional structure.A nephew of veteran VHP functionary Satyanarayana Bhagchandka, he has also authored Hindutva ke Purodha, a book documenting the contribution of key figures associated with the Hindutva movement, including Ashok Singhal.The second appointee, Madan Mohan Pandey, 74, is among the legal figures most closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The Ayodhya-based advocate represented Shri Ram Lalla Virajman and late Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans Das in the Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute from 1990 until the conclusion of the case before the Supreme Court in 2019.His association with the litigation places him among those directly involved in the legal journey that culminated in the landmark Supreme Court verdict paving the way for the construction of the Ram temple.
Newly Inducted Member Mahesh Bhagchandka To Take Over As Treasurer
Pandey has also served as Uttar Pradesh’s additional advocate general for six years and remains associated with several religious and educational institutions. He is vice-president of the Shri Hari Satsang Samiti and patron of the Kathakar Yojana training centre in Ayodhya.The third trustee, Dr Nirmala Yadav, brings an academic and administrative background to the Trust. A former principal of BDM Girls PG College, Shikohabad, and later Mahatma Gandhi Vidyalaya PG College, Firozabad, she retired in 2022 after a long career in higher education.Yadav comes from a family with deep roots in education and public life in western Uttar Pradesh. Her late husband, advocate Harendra Yadav, served as an RSS district chief, while her father-in-law, Squadron Leader Surya Kumar Yadav, served in the Indian Air Force and was later associated with the erstwhile Jana Sangh.According to family members, the association of the Yadav family with education dates back more than a century to the establishment of Kanhai College in Shikohabad by Chaudhary Shyam Singh Yadav in 1916. The family has also produced public representatives and military officers, including former MLA Captain Nihal Singh and Squadron Leader Surya Kumar Yadav.With the induction of the three trustees, the Trust now has its full complement of 11 permanent members. Along with president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the governing body comprises general secretary Swami Govind Dev Giri, treasurer Mahesh Bhagchandka, Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Vishwaprasannatheertha, Yugpurush Paramanand Giri, Mahant Dinendra Das, K. Parasaran, Dr Krishna Mohan, Madan Mohan Pandey and Dr Nirmala Yadav. Four ex-officio members also continue to be associated with the Trust.The reconstituted board is expected to play a central role in streamlining the functioning of the temple complex and finalising the administrative framework for the newly created CEO position. Trust members are also likely to consult legal experts while defining the powers, reporting structure and responsibilities of the chief executive officer as the institution enters its next phase of growth.