April 25: The Sri Satya Sai Central Trust owns properties in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the state that are worth thousands of crores. The actual value of assets owned by the trust has gained significance after Baba’s demise and with the issue of choosing Baba’s successor as the chief functionary of the trust coming to the fore.
The issue of who will take over the Trust will be taken up after Baba’s last rites are completed on Wednesday and sources said the current trustees would go by the “aspirations of Baba”. While the government and the trustees are tight-lipped about Baba’s successor, it is being rumoured that Baba’s key aide, Mr Sathyajeet, will play a key role and might be elevated to a top position “as desired by Baba”. Satya Sai Baba’s nephew, Mr R.J. Rathnakar, who is currently a trustee, is also in the race for a top post but apparently not many are backing him.
Thus as things stand, selecting Baba’s successor will be a tricky affair unless the spiritual leader left behind a will, which many say is the case. Meanwhile, contrary to media reports, Prof. Anil Kumar, a well known figure in Prashanti Nilayam, who used to translate Baba’s Telugu speeches into English, denied any rift among the Trust members. “They are all very eminent and selfless devotees,” he said, adding, “Even if the Trust’s responsibility is bestowed on Mr Sathyajeet and Mr Rathnakar, they will have to be guided by experienced trustees.”
Properties associated with Satya Sai institutions in countries like the West Indies, Japan, and Kenya are said to be in the name of organisations and trusts floated locally there. Even in India, several properties including hospitals are distributed among other trusts like the Sri Satya Sai Medical Trust. It is estimated that in India alone, Satya Sai Central Trust properties would be worth around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 crore. Intelligence Bureau sleuths, who are now stationed at Puttaparthi to keep a watch on the developments after Baba’s death, however, say that the rumoured figure of lakhs of crores worth of properties in the country could be an exaggeration.
A senior official said, “If the bylaws of the sub-trusts state that they are linked to the central trusts, then there can be control over them. However the properties are registered in the name of separate trusts.” The Trust has received large scale funds particularly from rich Indians, mostly Gujaratis, apart from foreign contributions. The Central Trust received `50 crore on an average every year from abroad. The total foreign contributions coming into the country in the past 40 years would be around Rs 2,000 crore.
According to the ministry of home affairs, the Satya Sai Central Trust has been among the top 10 recipients of foreign contributions in the country in the last 20 years. The trust was the largest recipient of foreign contributions for several years after the World Vision India of Tamil Nadu, followed by the Rural Development Trust of Anantapur in the state. In 1996-97, the Trust received around `47.7 crore, Rs 42.9 crore in 97-98 and around Rs 39.8 crore in 1998-99. In 2003-04 it received around Rs 49.96 crore, Rs 77.57 crore in 2004-05, Rs 72.12 crore in 2005-06, Rs 46.3 crore in 2007-08 and Rs 56.94 crore in 2008-09.
Foreign contributions are also received in the name of five other trusts apart from the Central Trusts and the chief functionary and trustees can be the same for several trusts depending on geographical area and area of charity. Other than Sri Satya Sai Baba, who was the founder trustee with powers to approve projects and issue cheques, there are six other trustees including Justice P.N. Bhagawati, Mr Indulal Shah, Mr S.V. Giri, Mr V. Srinivasan and Mr R.J. Rathnakar.
The Council of Management of the Trust include Mr K. Chakravarthi, Mr S.S. Naganand, Mr J.V. Shetty and Mr T.K.K. Bhagvat. The state government, meanwhile, has ruled out taking over the trust stating that there have been no complaints of mismanagement till date and this was the reason that the government had exempted the trust from its purview and allowed it to file assessments pertaining to acceptance of foreign donations etc. to the Centre.
