ISKCON B'lore President denies charges of irregularities

Bangalore, Apr 19 (UNI) International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangalore President Madhu Pandit Das today denied allegations with regard to irregularities in implementing the Akshaya Patra noon meal scheme as alleged by some members of the Karnataka Assembly and certain ''vested interests'' recently.

Clarifying on the recent allegations here, he said a systematic maligning campaign against the governing council members of ISKCON, trustees of ISKCON charities and missionary trustees of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, was being unleashed by some disgruntled former devotees of ISKCON Bangalore, now with ISKCON, Mumbai, and their agents. The allegations were ''unfounded and totally false'', he said.

Mr Das clarified that all funds and properties were managed by the trustees and none of them received any remuneration or monetary benefits from any of the trusts, except for their daily subsistence to carry out their missionary life. All the governing council members, including himself, had filed sworn affidavits of voluntary disclosure of their personal assets before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate yesterday to set at rest speculations and allegations in this regard, he announced.

Defending the development of real estate, he said the ISKCON had purchased 27 acres of land on the outskirts of the city for housing its members and well wishers. The funds generated out of the housing project would be pumped into the development of the Krishna theme park, proposed to be set up by the ISKCON on an area of 28 acres of land allotted by the government, he explained.

Mr Das denied that the funds meant for the Akshaya Patra scheme was misused or diverted as alleged and said all expenditures were accounted duly and audited every year. ISKCON had never showcased poverty in India, but highlighted the programme's effectiveness.

However, it was essential to mention that the scheme was for the benefit of under-privileged children studying in Government schools.

ISKCON'S mid-day meal programme covered over 5.8 lakh children every day, excluding 20,000 students of private schools, he added.

Taking exception to the charge that he had diverted ISKCON funds for his personal gains, he said he was a student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. ''If I really wanted to make money, there was no need for me to join the ISKCON movement,'' he remarked, taking a dig at his detractors.

UNI