Anantapur, April 20: Amidst allegations of financial mismanagement, Sri Satya Sai Central Trust on Monday asserted that accounts for donations received from within the country and abroad were in order.
“Audited statements (of foreign contributions) are sent to the Union Home Ministry and the annual audited statements are submitted to the various government agencies such as the Income Tax Department,” member of the trust, Raj Ratnakar, said in a statement.
Ratnakar, who is the son of Baba’s brother, made it clear that no employee of the trust can receive cash donations. “Donors deposit cash directly in the bank on the premises of the trust. Donors who like to donate outside the banking hours are advised to donate through their debit cards. As such there are no cash collections with the trust which are not accounted for,” he explained.
According to him, cheques and drafts received by the trust are deposited daily in the bank by the Finance Officer of the trust. Foreign contributions are credited to a separate bank account as per the approval given by the Home Ministry under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976. The receipts duly signed by the secretary of the trust are sent to the donors.
He further said all works and projects of the trust are approved by Sai Baba, who alone has the power to sign cheques for disbursing payments for approved works and projects. All payments to various suppliers and contractors are made by a/c payee demand drafts or by transfer through RTGS directly for credit to the bank accounts of various suppliers and contractors.
“No payments are made to any party by cash. Fool-proof accounting systems are in place and therefore, the question of diversion of funds or unauthorised expenditure does not arise,” Ratnakar said. He described as “motivated and grossly distorted” reports in a section of the media on the trust affairs and alleged that they were meant to damage the reputation of the trust.
He appealed to the devotees to be calm and pray for the health of Baba, who he said, will show compassion even to such “misguided individuals” and lead them on the right path.
–Agencies