Uttarakhand Court Demands Accountability in Temple Funds Misuse

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the state government and temple committee to respond to allegations of misuse of funds allocated for the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples from 2012 to 2017. The petition by Amit Sharma claims funds were spent improperly and unauthorized appointments were made.

The Uttarakhand High Court is addressing a public interest litigation (PIL) involving alleged misuse of funds dedicated to the Badrinath and Kedarnath temple repairs between 2012 and 2017. The court has directed both the state government and the temple committee to submit a comprehensive response within three weeks, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations.

A division bench, led by Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, is overseeing the case initiated by Amit Sharma, a resident of Rishikesh. The petitioner claims that funds intended for temple repairs were misappropriated, some of which were allegedly spent on temples outside the jurisdiction of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.

Additionally, the petition alleges illegal appointments within temple services, claiming preferred individuals were selected without following the appropriate procedures. The court has been urged to launch an investigation into these purported discrepancies ahead of the scheduled hearing in three weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)