The around two-month-long process of appointing the first CEO of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has reached its final stage, with the selection committee shortlisting three names and submitting the list to the Ram Temple Trust. The announcement regarding the new CEO is likely to be made on Wednesday after a proposed meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is held. One of the three contenders will be picked as the CEO.
The three potential contenders are retired IPS officer Rajesh Pandey, former IAS officer Yogeshwar Ram Mishra, and former Bihar DGP Paresh Saxena.
Among these, former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey, who was interviewed twice, is said to be the frontrunner, with sources indicating that Pandey’s name figures at the top. Though the final decision rests with the Trust, if selected, he will be the first CEO of the Ram Mandir Trust.
Now the question attracting public attention is who is Rajesh Pandey?
Rajesh Pandey is a retired IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, known as an encounter specialist. His biggest advantage is his extensive administrative and police experience in the state. Virtually a State Police Service officer, Pandey was promoted to the IPS cadre in 2005.
Considered one of UP’s supercops, Rajesh Pandey served as SSP in districts like Lucknow, Aligarh, Meerut, and Saharanpur. He has investigated cases such as the 2005 Ayodhya bomb blast case, the 2006 Dashashwamedh Ghat blast in Varanasi, and the Lucknow and Faizabad court bombings.
He later played a major role in the formation of two special units of the UP Police: the Special Task Force (STF) and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and became a founding member of both: the UP STF and the UP ATS. During his tenure, he carried out encounters with over 80 criminals, including gangster Shriprakash Shukla. Rajesh Pandey has experience working with some United Nations personnel in the Kosovo Peacekeeping Mission and has extensive leadership experience.
Furthermore, he has been considered a favorite of the current government. This is why he is considered a strong contender for the position.
The first CEO of the Ram Temple will be responsible for managing a wide range of administrative and management tasks related to the temple and pilgrims. Therefore, there is talk of prioritizing an official with extensive administrative experience for this position.
In the meantime, the three members of the search committee have already reached Ayodhya for the crucial Wednesday meeting in which the final decision and announcement of the first CEO for the Ram Temple are to be made.
The need to appoint a professional at the helm of administration was felt after the theft of donations was unearthed in the temple complex. The process of appointing a CEO began on July 6 with the formation of the search and selection committee comprising retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lt Gen Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi, and retired nuclear scientist Suresh Haware, who earlier served as chairperson of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi.
It’s worth mentioning here that 5,585 applications had been received for this post, out of which 16 candidates were selected for interviews. The shortlisting of three candidates was done through the process that included multiple rounds of screening, online interactions, and in-person meetings with 16 finalists held in Ayodhya on Aug. 11 and 12.
This is how the long process of selection was completed:
- July 6: CEO selection committee formed.
- July 11: The CEO Selection Committee held its first meeting, determining the selection process and eligibility criteria.
- July 14: Sameer Panda appointed secretary of the selection committee.
- July 18: Application process for CEO selection closes.
- July 19 to 31: The work of reviewing and evaluating the applications received for the post of CEO was completed.
- August 3 to 6: Online dialogue process continued.
- 11-12 August: Detailed interview process of the final 16 selected applicants completed at Ayodhya Teerth Kshetra.
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