The valuation records of the jewellery of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini should be included in the balance sheet – Auditor Sanjay Suryavanshi

Before sending letter to Pandharpur’s Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple Committee, the auditor spoke to Sanatan Prabhat’s correspondent and clarified his position

Mumbai – “A balance sheet is extremely important. It shows the financial position of an organisation or trust. The silver plating on the door as well as the ornaments of Shri Vitthal at the temple should be evaluated by experts and recorded in the balance sheet”, said Sanjay Suryavanshi on telephone while speaking to the correspondent of ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ on 26 ^th December 2023. Suryavanshi was the auditor of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple Committee for FY 2021-22.

The auditor further said, “We have personally visited the prasad and laddu making factory and presented our observations in the report. As per the agreement made by the temple, it was mentioned that ‘groundnut oil should be used in laddus’. When we visited, we found empty containers of cotton seed oil there. The expense of making the laddus is borne by the temple. Hence, the method as mentioned in the agreement should be followed. We have presented the
ground reality in the report. We have no personal motives in this. Our only aim is that this situation should improve. The temple committee has a positive side as well. Shri Vitthal is a seat of worship for millions of people. Our audit is a preliminary one. We have given an objective audit report only after conducting a thorough inspection so that we do not accidentally defame the temple when submitting the audit report. It was our duty to give an honest account of what we found in the audit.”

The auditor’s letter also reveals the mismanagement by the temple committee

Rajendra Shelke, Executive Officer of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple Committee, presented his position on behalf of the committee in a press conference 2 days ago. While referring to the letter received from the auditors on 29^th December 2023, he said that the audit report does not mention that the ornaments of the temple were missing. (This letter is available to read on the website’https://sanatanprabhat.org/marathi/’). The above news clarifies the position of the auditor as told to the correspondent of the daily ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ over telephone before sending this letter i.e. on 26^th December 2023. Both these state clearly that the ornaments of the Deity and the silver of the temple were not recorded in the balance sheet. Daily ‘Sanatan Prabhat’has only highlighted the same i.e., the mismanagement by the temple committee. In the last 38 years, there is no mention of the precious ornaments in the balance sheet, which creates suspicion.

Shelke gave incomplete or wrong information about the absence of jewellery records in the balance sheets, delay in the construction of toilets for devotees on railway’s land and corruption in the preparation of laddus. The reality has been presented in a prominent report in the 3^rd January 2024 issue of the daily ‘Sanatan Prabhat’.