Overview

• On August 14, the Uttar Pradesh legislature replaced its May ordinance by passing the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Trust Bill, 2025 to formalize the shrine’s governance structure.
• The law creates a board of 18 trustees, including 11 state-nominated and seven ex-officio members, all of whom must be Sanatani Hindus serving three-year terms.
• The trust assumes custodianship over all offerings, donations, movable and immovable assets of the Banke Bihari temple and may independently acquire property up to ₹20 lakh.
• The government defended the measure as essential for crowd management and infrastructure improvements, citing a 2022 stampede that killed two devotees and a proposed Banke Bihari corridor.
• Despite legislative approval, actual control remains with a 14-member interim committee led by retired Justice Ashok Kumar until courts resolve challenges to the ordinance and bill.