Author:
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 1, 2003
Activists of non-governmental organisation
Nirbahy Andolan yesterday met members of the Siddhivinayak temple trust,
demanding their resignation on grounds of corruption. They also alleged
that the trustees were harassing hawkers in the immediate vicinity of the
temple.
Earlier in the week, the NGO had
claimed 20 people - social workers and hawkers -would self-immolate on
Monday to draw attention to their demands. However, nothing of the -kind
happened.
"We had a talk with the trustees
and they asked us to give our demands in writing. We will be getting public
opinion on practises like charging Rs 50 per person for the privilege of
entering the temple without standing in a queue," said Dr Sanjay Salunke
of Nirbhay Andolan.
"The Siddhivinayak trust should
be dismantled and new members should be brought in to stop the prevalent
corrupt practices. The temple receives an average of Rs 8-10 crore by way
of donations annually. What do the trustees do with it?
Where does the money go? Now the
trustees are also pressurising the stall-owners/hawkers doing business
near the temple to clear off. These people have been here for the last
30-40 years, they have proper licences, what right do the trustees have
to harass them?" questioned Salunke.
According to the NGO, the hawkers
had brought the discrepancies to their notice, a few months ago, asking
them to investigate the matter. "We investigated and found their fears
to be true. Now, let the government look into it," said Salunke.
Some stall-owners/hawkers admit
that the trustees had pressurised them to clear off. "The trustees have
been harassing us since the last few months. They have been asking us to
go away from this place. But we have licenses from the ward office and
this is our only source of income," said a woman hawker who has been here
for the last 30years.
Another hawker added, "Why are they
asking us to move out when the BMC and police has given us permission?
We are not doing business, within the temple."
Trustee Satish Padawe, when contacted,
said, "We have heard about the allegations of corruption levied against
the trust members. These should be investigated first and if proved true,
only then should they demand the removal of trustees."
As for the allegations about harassing
the hawkers he said, "Some of the hawkers squatting along the main road
were cleared off recently. But that was done by the police for security
reasons, after the temples came under heavy security. Our trust has nothing
to do with it."