Ram Temple trust may finalise new CEO today, 3 names recommended | India News - Hindustan Times

**Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Moves Closer to Appointing Its First CEO**

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (RJT Kshetra), the statutory body created to oversee the construction and management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, is poised to announce its inaugural chief executive officer within the next 24 hours. A statement released by the trust on Thursday said that a three‑member panel had completed its evaluation of candidates and forwarded a shortlist to the board for final approval. The board is expected to meet later today, after which the name of the selected CEO will be disclosed publicly.

All three shortlisted candidates hail from Uttar Pradesh and bring extensive experience in public‑sector administration and large‑scale project management. The first nominee, **Anil Kumar Singh**, is a senior IAS officer who previously served as the district magistrate of Varanasi and headed the state’s infrastructure development department. The second, **Sanjay Mishra**, is a former deputy commissioner of Lucknow with a track record in heritage conservation projects. The third, **Ramesh Prasad**, a retired IPS officer, has overseen several high‑profile religious‑site renovations across North India. Sources close to the trust indicated that the panel favored a candidate with proven ability to navigate both bureaucratic processes and community expectations, criteria deemed critical for the temple’s complex construction schedule and its anticipated influx of pilgrims.

The selection process, however, has attracted political scrutiny. The Samaj Party (SP) has formally questioned the transparency of the trust’s hiring procedure and has petitioned the Allahabad High Court for the formation of a court‑supervised panel to oversee the appointment. Telangana Today reported that the SP’s demand stems from concerns that the shortlist may have been influenced by partisan considerations, given the temple’s symbolic importance in national politics. While the RJT Kshetra maintains that its recruitment adhered to statutory norms and merit‑based assessment, the upcoming announcement will be closely watched for any indications of political interference, especially as the trust gears up for the temple’s expected completion in the early 2030s.