ID :
178706
Thu, 04/28/2011 - 21:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/178706
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Sai Baba Trustees leave questions unanswered
Desaraju Surya
Puttaparthi(Andhra Pradesh), April 28 (PTI) There were
one too many issues that the normally-reticent Sri Satya Sai
Central Trust (SSSCT) needed to address but at their first
formal press conference Thursday, the Trustees and members of
the Council of Management left many questions unanswered.
The trustees, who claimed themselves to be "persons of
impeccable credentials, honour and integrity", faced questions
questions relating to the death of the Baba and his treatment.
"As trustees, we are not involved with the treatment
given to the Baba in hospital. There was no reason for us to
believe that 'something was extraordinarily wrong’ with Satya
Sai Baba's health prior to March 28, the day he was
hospitalized. If people want to imagine something more than
that, we can’t help it," Venu Srinivasan, speaking on behalf
of the Trust, told a press conference at the Satya Sai Indoor
Stadium here in south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Thursday
afternoon.
"We are not ducking any questions," Srinivasan noted but
his answers were mostly in denial mode.
On the treatment given to Baba since his hospitalization
on March 28, he said it was the Baba himself who chose the
doctors to attend and the kind of treatment".
"It was the Baba who decided which doctors to consult and
the treatment required. In the hospital, the Baba was treated
by doctors like 'any other patient'. The doctors did not treat
him as 'God' and let him take care of himself. Baba was, no
doubt, fragile but there was no reason for any of us to
believe anything was extraordinarily wrong," Srinivasan added.
Maintaining that the value of Trust properties was
"hugely exaggerated" by the media, Srinivasan and another
Trustee Naganand, a Supreme Court lawyer, said the value was
always subjective.
"The Trust properties are for a specific purpose. Every
single piece of land owned by the Trust is for charitable
purpose and the properties are not available for sale or
commercial exploitation," they added.
The SSSCT owned several acres of land in Puttaparthi,
Bengaluru, Anantapur, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kodaikanal,
Rajahmundry and other places on which hospitals, educational
institutions and other facilities came up.
“The income of the Central Trust and its associate Sri
Satya Sai Medical Trust ranged from Rs 100 crore to Rs 130
crore per annum in the last four years. The expenditure for
the same period was between Rs 75 crore and Rs 100 crore per
annum. It is, therefore, evident that the size of the Trust is
modest,” Naganand said.
While stating that the trustees themselves had “no
individual vested interests”, Srinivasan alleged certain
vested interests were trying to defame the fair name of the
Trust, its functionaries and the Trustees."
He, however, said "we don't want to name anybody but
there are efforts to defame us," Srinivas said.
“In the light of baseless, irresponsible and false
accusations of defalcation of gold, valuable artefacts and
even money, it is emphatically stated that the accusations are
wholly untrue and it is believed these have been engineered by
certain vested interests," Srinivasan added.
Srinivasan said union ministers, Governors and Chief
Ministers assured all support to the Trust following Baba's
death.
"They told us that the government was neither interested
in nor was there any proposal to interfere with the Trust
activities. In fact, we never approached the government for
aid at any time," he said.
Naganand said the Trust deed executed by the Baba himself
had clearly specified the role of each Trustee. "Last year the
Baba himself expanded the Trust by appointing five Trustees
and four members of the Council of Management".
On who enjoyed the Trust's cheque signing power, the
Trustee said it was the Baba alone who enjoyed it.
"Now that Baba is no more, at least two Trustees will get
the cheque signing power. We will meet soon and take a
decision on this," Baba's nephew and Trustee R J Ratnakar
said.
Replying to a question, Srinivasan denied dominance of
Tamilians was high in the Trust affairs. "Baba and the Trust
belong to everyone. There is nothing like Tamil domination,"
he remarked.
Puttaparthi(Andhra Pradesh), April 28 (PTI) There were
one too many issues that the normally-reticent Sri Satya Sai
Central Trust (SSSCT) needed to address but at their first
formal press conference Thursday, the Trustees and members of
the Council of Management left many questions unanswered.
The trustees, who claimed themselves to be "persons of
impeccable credentials, honour and integrity", faced questions
questions relating to the death of the Baba and his treatment.
"As trustees, we are not involved with the treatment
given to the Baba in hospital. There was no reason for us to
believe that 'something was extraordinarily wrong’ with Satya
Sai Baba's health prior to March 28, the day he was
hospitalized. If people want to imagine something more than
that, we can’t help it," Venu Srinivasan, speaking on behalf
of the Trust, told a press conference at the Satya Sai Indoor
Stadium here in south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Thursday
afternoon.
"We are not ducking any questions," Srinivasan noted but
his answers were mostly in denial mode.
On the treatment given to Baba since his hospitalization
on March 28, he said it was the Baba himself who chose the
doctors to attend and the kind of treatment".
"It was the Baba who decided which doctors to consult and
the treatment required. In the hospital, the Baba was treated
by doctors like 'any other patient'. The doctors did not treat
him as 'God' and let him take care of himself. Baba was, no
doubt, fragile but there was no reason for any of us to
believe anything was extraordinarily wrong," Srinivasan added.
Maintaining that the value of Trust properties was
"hugely exaggerated" by the media, Srinivasan and another
Trustee Naganand, a Supreme Court lawyer, said the value was
always subjective.
"The Trust properties are for a specific purpose. Every
single piece of land owned by the Trust is for charitable
purpose and the properties are not available for sale or
commercial exploitation," they added.
The SSSCT owned several acres of land in Puttaparthi,
Bengaluru, Anantapur, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kodaikanal,
Rajahmundry and other places on which hospitals, educational
institutions and other facilities came up.
“The income of the Central Trust and its associate Sri
Satya Sai Medical Trust ranged from Rs 100 crore to Rs 130
crore per annum in the last four years. The expenditure for
the same period was between Rs 75 crore and Rs 100 crore per
annum. It is, therefore, evident that the size of the Trust is
modest,” Naganand said.
While stating that the trustees themselves had “no
individual vested interests”, Srinivasan alleged certain
vested interests were trying to defame the fair name of the
Trust, its functionaries and the Trustees."
He, however, said "we don't want to name anybody but
there are efforts to defame us," Srinivas said.
“In the light of baseless, irresponsible and false
accusations of defalcation of gold, valuable artefacts and
even money, it is emphatically stated that the accusations are
wholly untrue and it is believed these have been engineered by
certain vested interests," Srinivasan added.
Srinivasan said union ministers, Governors and Chief
Ministers assured all support to the Trust following Baba's
death.
"They told us that the government was neither interested
in nor was there any proposal to interfere with the Trust
activities. In fact, we never approached the government for
aid at any time," he said.
Naganand said the Trust deed executed by the Baba himself
had clearly specified the role of each Trustee. "Last year the
Baba himself expanded the Trust by appointing five Trustees
and four members of the Council of Management".
On who enjoyed the Trust's cheque signing power, the
Trustee said it was the Baba alone who enjoyed it.
"Now that Baba is no more, at least two Trustees will get
the cheque signing power. We will meet soon and take a
decision on this," Baba's nephew and Trustee R J Ratnakar
said.
Replying to a question, Srinivasan denied dominance of
Tamilians was high in the Trust affairs. "Baba and the Trust
belong to everyone. There is nothing like Tamil domination,"
he remarked.
