The Gadhimai Mela held every five years in Bariyarpur village of Mahagadhimai municipality was being managed by the 'Gadhimai Temple Operation and Development Committee'. Under the Associations Act, this committee, which was registered with the District Administration Office, was responsible for the income and expenses of the fair. The committee used to manage the income and expenses from the visitors in this fair, which was visited by millions of devotees.

The expenses of managing the fair were coming from the income from visitors. There was no external financial support at that time. But this year's fair was managed by the Mahagadhimai Municipality by making the "Fair Operation and Management Procedure 2081" under its jurisdiction. Apart from the income from the visitors, the budget for the management of the fair came from the provincial and local governments. Mahagadhimai municipality and Madhes state government spent 50/50 lakh and electricity authority spent about 75 lakh rupees on electricity management.

The municipality, which is interested in the income of the fair, created a core committee and more than a dozen sub-committees to manage the fair. But even after a month has passed since the end of the fair, the income and expenditure committee has kept it secret.

The sub-committee, which is responsible for keeping the expenditure and income correct along with the management of the fair, has not accepted to account to the main committee . Therefore, Manoj Gupta, vice president of the original committee, who is also the ward president of Mahagadhimai-1, said that the original committee is trying to reconcile the income and expenditure. _{Gadhimai Mela . File photo}

The chairman of the core committee of the fair management is Upendra Yadav, the mayor of the municipality. There is no account operation in his name . The account is operated in the name of the general secretary Naresh Jaiswal, vice president Kailash Mahato and treasurer Birendra Chaurasia. But they said that they are not fully aware of all the income and expenses . Due to the delay in announcing the income and expenses, most of the officers of the main committee, sub-committee and members of the committee have started suspecting irregularities.  Treasurer Chaurasia said that whatever is mentioned in the points of the

procedure, in case of emergency, as per the decision of the main committee, there is a provision to save up to 10,000 rupees in cash and keep the bill-repayment safe.

'Most of the people of the sub-committee have cash in their hands and pockets, no one wants to give an account,' he said, 'the main committee does not know where and in what condition the millions of money, such as Ranga, Pigeon Sacrifice, entertainment, cash and jinx offerings, parking contracts, etc.  .' 

Chaurasia's statement is also accepted by the vice-president of the original committee, Gupta. Among the sources of income, those sub-committees have not given an account of their income. I am trying for that,' said Treasurer Chaurasia, 'now we are trying to publicize the income and expenses of the fair during Maghe Sankranti.' And it was found while counting and recording the offerings.  The

process involves keeping records of cash income, bank deposits and interest income. Treasurer Chaurasia said that the income from Ranga, pigeon sacrifice, offering, stall sale, VIP worship was not deposited in the bank. All these incomes were given in the internal contract .

was charged at the rate of 500 for each queue . Prem Sah of the Sacrifice Management Sub-Committee claimed that around 8,000 Ranga were sacrificed. The committee has been claiming that more than 5 million visitors have come to fill the fair. Another general secretary of the committee, Birendra Yadav, said that 1 crore 33 lakhs from entertainment and 11 lakhs from parking contracts have been deposited in the bank. He said that the entire amount of offerings and sacrifices were not reconciled with the bank account. There were 5 general secretary in the