Trust is being run less like a public institution and more like a private club.
Bengaluru — A major controversy has erupted inside the Sri Salasar Balaji Seva Samiti, with serious allegations of opaque decision-making, financial imprudence and bypassing of trust procedures in the ongoing Shri Balaji Mandir construction project. Multiple trustees and life members have raised objections after the core committee — led by President Pramod Murarka, Vice-President Satish Mittal and Secretary Manish Somani — reportedly approved a high-cost fund-raising programme in Bengaluru featuring the Hindi play Chakravyuh, without wider consent of the trust body.
According to insiders, the proposed event is expected to cost ₹40–50 lakh, triggering sharp dissent among members who question why such a large expenditure is needed when the committee has previously claimed to have already mobilised ₹20 crore in construction funds, with additional contributions still flowing in. “If funds are available, why divert donor money to an expensive publicity event?” several members ask, calling the move financially unjustified and ethically questionable.
More troubling, critics allege that the decision was taken without an AGM, EGM or formal resolution, reinforcing fears that the trust is being operated by a closed inner circle rather than through collective governance. Some members allege that the initiative reflects personal prestige and image-building, even as construction progress remains slow and financial disclosures remain limited. Offers of voluntary assistance, they claim, are being ignored while expenditure commitments continue to escalate without transparency or reporting. Core committee members have declined to respond to queries, sources said.
Amid rising unease, voices within the trust are now demanding an independent audit, statutory compliance review and full public disclosure of accounts and resolutions. Critics argue that in a project built on devotional faith and community donations, accountability cannot be optional — nor can governance function in silence.
At the heart of the dispute lies a larger question of ethics and responsibility. Funds given in faith carry a moral duty, members say — and until the committee places complete records, decisions and financial statements in the public domain, the crisis of confidence surrounding the Balaji Mandir project is likely to deepen.
A religious trust cannot run in opacity — and the community is no longer willing to look the other way.
