Govt starts process to form Shirdi board

Nashik: The state government initiated the process to finalise names of trustees for the board of executives to run the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) on Saturday, for the first time since 2012.
According to sources, Navi Mumbai-based builder and BJP leader Suresh Haware is likely to be new president, while Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Mirlekar will be the vice-president of the trust, which will take over by the end of this year.At present, the SSST is being governed by a three-member management committee headed by Principal District Judge of Ahmednagar.
This arrangement came into existence on the orders of Aurangabad bench of Bombay high court in 2012. The temple trust was earlier being governed by the charity commissioner's office. In 2004, the state government took over the activities and the chief minister was given all rights to nominate the trustees. In 2012, an appeal was filed in court against the nomination of trustees.
While the present officials of SSST were not available for comment on this development, an official from the chief minister's office told TOI that the process of appointing the new board had begun. "The announcement of the new board of executives of the Shirdi temple will be made soon," the official said.
The constitution of new board of trustees was the talk of the town at Shirdi throughout Saturday. It was learnt from sources at chief minister's office that the leader of the opposition in state legislative assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, former MLA of Rahuri Chandrashekhar Kadam, Ahmednagar-based BJYM leader Sachin Tambe and Shirdi's mayor Anita Jagtap will be the members of the board. New committee will have representation to devotees, residents of Shirdi, political leadership and administrative officers.
The demand of forming a board of trustees was being raised even before the state assembly elections in 2014. The board of trustees will play an important role next year, when the temple will celebrate 100th death anniversary of Sai baba through a grand public event.