Ayodhya/Lucknow: Former bureaucrats, retired IPS and army officers were among around right candidates interviewed on the first day as the selection process for appointing a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust began on Tuesday. The shortlisted candidates appeared before the three-member committee.The committee has to interview 18 candidates in two days inside the temple complex near Green House. The GreenHouse is a dedicated, highly secure administrative and VIP lounge facility used by the Trust.The interviews are scheduled to continue on Wednesday as the panel assesses applicants for the key administrative post of the Trust, which oversees the management and development of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.Meanwhile, former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who has also applied for the post, has questioned the transparency of the selection process. “I too had applied for the post, but I did not receive any call,” Thakur said. He added that he has no personal grievance over his selection or rejection, but urged the Temple Trust to disclose shortlisted candidates’ names, selection criteria, and application status to all applicants.The selection committee comprises retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retd) Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and retired nuclear scientist Suresh Haware. Haware has also served as chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi.After completing the interviews and evaluating the shortlisted candidates, the committee will select three names from among the applicants. These names will then be recommended to the temple trust.The Trust will consider the three recommended candidates before taking the final decision on the appointment of its new CEO. The selection process is expected to conclude after the committee completes its interviews and submits its recommendations to the Trust for final consideration and approval.The Trust is scheduled to announce the appointment of the new CEO on Sept 2. Notably, the Trust received around 5,200 applications for the CEO post last month.
