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With India's Ayodhya Ram Mandir embroiled in an alleged donation scam, the country's top temples have begun taking a hard look at their own financial systems, and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is leading the charge.
The trust that manages the iconic Tirupati Balaji temple has approached the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of its accounting and audit mechanisms. ICAI President Prasanna Kumar D confirmed to ANI that the institute has already begun work on the project, with a target of completing the new framework within 100 days. "They wanted to improve the accounting system of the temple and take it to the next level. They sought our help," Kumar said. The Accounting Research Foundation, a specialised wing of ICAI, has since been tasked with leading the initiative. Kumar noted that TTD's existing accounting infrastructure is two to three decades old, and the new system will run entirely on an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform. "We want to do it within the next 100 days. That's what we thought," he said, emphasising that ICAI's final report will serve as a blueprint with implementation timelines to be decided by TTD itself. Significantly, ICAI sees this as more than a one-off project. "Our idea is to take this as an example which can be replicated by other institutions also," Kumar said, indicating the model could be extended to other temples and philanthropic organisations across the country. On whether ICAI would look into the alleged irregularities at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Kumar was measured in his response. "We don't have any information except the media reports. We don't have any knowledge about what happened at Ram Mandir," he said, while stressing that robust internal financial controls are the universal remedy. "Whatever the collections be, it cash, cheques, or banking -- there should be a foolproof internal control mechanism. If that is in place, leakage cannot happen." ICAI Vice President Mangesh Pandurang Kinare echoed the sentiment, saying the institute is actively gathering information on how such financial gaps can be plugged. "The accounting manual we are preparing for TTD can prevent such leakages in the future," he said. Kinare also noted that ICAI has previously delivered similar projects for Indian Railways and India Post, lending weight to its credentials for the task. The development comes at a time of heightened public scrutiny over temple finances in India, and signals a broader push toward transparency and accountability in the management of religious institutions. (ANI)
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