'Successor of Sai Baba unlikely soon, trust will take work forward'

HYDERABAD: Sathya Sai Baba's death has left a huge question mark on the future of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which is said to control assets whose worth could range anywhere from Rs 40,000 crore to over Rs 1 lakh crore. The cause of the anxiety is the dispute among some trust members, evident from anonymous letters sent to cops in recent weeks. 

Sai Baba was the chairman of the central trust and the only person with cheque signing authority. The central trust is expected to lead, but what if its members do not resolve their disputes? 

Unlike other godmen, Sai Baba had maintained close links with his kin and they are now seeking a role. Baba's nephew R J Ratnakar, a cable operator and gas agency owner, is a member of the trust and is seeking a bigger role. 

Sathya Sai Baba's nephew R J Ratnakar, a member of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, is seeking a bigger role for himself. Ratnakar earned a trust seat after his father R Janakaramaiah, Sai Baba's younger brother, died. 

Trust functionaries like secretary K Chakravarthy would rather have the organization run by professionals. 

Indications are that other trust members like former chief justice of India P N Bhagwati and former central vigilance commissioner S V Giri are aligned with Chakravarthy's thinking. Chakravarthy quit the IAS to devote himself to the work of Sai Baba. 

Evidence of dispute among trustees surfaced in the form of benami letters received by the district police last fortnight, alleging wrongdoing by some trust members. Pamphlets distributed in the pilgrim town last week also sought to target a key functionary of the trust. Compounding the problems are some politicians who have jumped into the fray. 

To add to the problem, the central trust deed registered on September 2, 1972, with the assistant commissioner (endowments) office in Ananthapur, is silent about who should succeed the founder trustee, Sathya Sai Baba. The Central Trust deed clearly states that any change of trustees will happen with the approval of the founder trustee and the founder trustee would have all the powers to appoint or remove any trustee. But there is no word about alternative arrangements in the absence of the founder trustee. 

The central trust is one of the many trusts carrying on the work of Sai Baba. But in the deeds relating to these trusts there is clarity about the trustees, their appointment and tenure. 

The Andhra Pradesh government at present is not seeking to meddle in the affairs of the Sai Central Trust. This was stated by the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy in Puttaparthi hours after Sai Baba passed away. 

Sources close to the central trust said that there will be no successor to Sai Baba soon and the trust will continue to take forward work entrusted by the Baba. ''May be the money used will come from the subsidiary trusts since nobody else has cheque signing authority in the Central Trust,'' an analyst said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Successor-of-Sai-Baba-unlikely-soon-trust-will-take-work-forward/articleshow/8076119.cms

As Sai Baba's condition worsens, succession war hots up in Puttaparthi

HYDERABAD: Even as devotees continue to be on edge about the health situation of Sathya Sai Baba, the names of his nephew R J Ratnakar and his caregiver, Satyajit, are emerging as possible persons who may have a bigger say in the Satya Sai Baba Central Trust. 

Sai Baba is the chairman of the trust that controls various activities being carried out in his name. 

Ratnakar (39) controls the cable TV transmission in Puttaparthi and also is a dealer of a Hindustan Petroleum petrol pump in Puttaparthi. Satyajit (33) who joined the Satya Sai school at the age of 5, studied at the Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning where he completed his MBA standing first in the university. He offered to serve the Baba for his entire life and rose to become his personal caregiver. 

Even as doctors were attending the Baba — his weight has dropped to a mere 32 kg on his 25th day of hospitalization — the family members of the spiritual leader engaged with trust members about who will lead the organization in the post-Sai scenario. 

"Both the trust members and Baba's close family members agreed that Ratnakar and Satyajit could have a greater say in running the trust post-Sai Baba," said a source. 

Ratnakar is said to have some political links, though he himself is not a member of any party. His father Janakiramaiah, younger brother of Baba, was vice president of the Anantapur district Congress Committee from 1989 to 2000. He is the only family member who was made a member of the trust by Baba. 

On the other hand, Satyajit has been serving as personal attendant of Saibaba since 2002 and is reputed to be the only person who can allow access to any outsider to Yajur Mandir, the sanctum of Saibaba in Prasanti Nilayam. 

Some of the devotees of Saibaba and his family members are said to be upset over the fact that the trust is dominated by Tamils. 

"The central trust has as its members K Chakravarthi and R V Srinivasan. Now, Satyajit, also a Tamil Brahmin, is being foisted by them to run the trust affairs," said a family member who did not want to be identified. However, some sources say Saibaba hinted two days before his 85th birthday in November last year that Satyajit should be made a member of the central trust. 

On Thursday, at meeting among trust officials, family members and Andhra Pradesh government representatives Geeta Reddy (major industries minister) and L V Subramanyam (principal secretary, finance), the trust and family members agreed not to air any adverse comment against one another and maintain public decorum.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/As-Sai-Babas-condition-worsens-succession-war-hots-up-in-Puttaparthi/articleshow/8052662.cms