Thaindian News

Hyderabad, May 1 (IANS) The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has postponed the selection of its chairman to next week, apparently due to lack of unanimity among trustees.

The trust Sunday met at the pilgrim town of Puttaparthi in Anantapur district to choose a successor to head the trust formed by spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, who died April 24.

According to people close to the trust, there was lack of unanimity among the trustees and members of council of management and so they decided to meet again after the 10th day rituals of Sai Baba May 4 to select the chairman.

All the five members of the trust, including Sai Baba’s nephew R.J. Ratnakar, and three members of the council of management, attended the meeting, which lasted for two hours.

The other trustees include former chief justice P.N. Bhagwati, S.V. Giri, Indulal Shah and V. Srinivasan.

The meeting is believed to have discussed the issue of the cheque signing authority, the allegations being made against it and other key matters, sources said.

The trustees and members of the council of management had addressed a joint press conference April 28 to deny there was any difference among them.

They had also decided to select the new chairman in couple of days.

The trust manages the affairs of the massive spiritual empire left behind by Sai Baba. It runs educational and medical facilities in Puttaparthi, Bangalore and other places.

Ratnakar, the only family member of Baba on the trust, had said he would suggest two members with authority to sign cheques.

Only Sai Baba had the signing power since he formed the trust in 1972.

Srinivasan had ruled out inducting Sai Baba’s caregiver Satyajit as a trustee and made it clear that one of the trustees would be selected as chairman.