Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) on Wednesday constituted a committee to investigate allegations that its funds were misused for accommodations, meals, and helicopter rides for political leaders and their associates.The committee has been asked to submit its report in 20 days. (X/pushkardhami)The inquiry committee includes finance officer Hem Kandpal, executive engineer Vipin Tiwari,law officer SS Barkhal, and chief administrative officer Ranjan Naithani.“News is circulating on social media regarding the payment of various accommodation and food bills for distinguished guests through the temple committee. The concerned dignitaries have also denied this... A departmental committee is being formed to investigate the matter impartially and verify it,” the BKTC order said.The committee has been asked to submit its report in 20 days.BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said, “We have constituted the committee for fair and impartial investigation into the matter and strict action will be taken against the culprits.”Dwivedi earlier told HT, “The previous BKTC CEO had committed these irregularities, and after these activities came to light thorough an investigation, he was removed from the post. BKTC is also investigating other corrupt practices by the CEO in question, and strict action will be taken once they are proven.”The alleged corruption was flagged by a Dehradun based RTI activist and advocate Vikesh Negi after he obtained documents through RTI.He alleged that funds donated by devotees were spent on accommodation, food and helicopter tickets for politicians and associates.Also Read:‘No reels, no phones, no drones’ in Kedarnath temple; List of banned items and activities as yatra begins todayNegi alleged that BKTC spent ₹60,000 on accommodation and meals for Neha Joshi, daughter of cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi, during her two-day stay in Kedarnath on April 30 and May 1, 2025.He also claimed that accommodation expenses worth ₹37,500 for Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal were also paid from temple funds.He alleged that temple committte funds were misused for visits by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.According to Negi, payments for helicopter tickets of guests associated with BKTC office-bearers, including the chairperson and vice-chairperson, were also made from temple funds.He demanded a high-level probe into the alleged corruption and said “Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines are centres of faith for crores of Sanatan followers. Corruption in these institutions should not be tolerated.”Neha Joshi on Sunday denied the allegations and sought a probe into the matter.“I have come to know through media reports that, in response to an RTI query, BKTC has claimed that payments for my stay and that of my companions during last year’s two-day visit to Kedarnath were made by the temple committee. This claim is completely false. Baba Kedarnath is my deity, and with his blessings, I undertake this pilgrimage regularly...We paid the full amount for all three rooms in cash. Proof of payment is available, and the staff at Gayatri Bhawan can also verify this. In addition, we had booked two rooms at GMVN, for which full payment was also made,” she said.She also asked for a thorough investigation into the matter.Nautiyal said, “I have been a public representative since 2002 and have been regularly visiting the Kedarnath temple. I have never made any request seeking protocol for my stay. Kedarnath temple falls under my assembly constituency, and I have always stayed in my personal capacity. I will seek an inquiry into how a bill was issued in my name.”“It seems to be a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the temple,” she said.Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal said, “It is a serious matter that temple committee funds were misused for accommodations and visits of leaders and people associated with the BJP. It should be looked into.”