Pune: For over a year, three out of the six trustee positions at the Alandi Devasthan Trust have remained vacant, with 167 hopeful candidates still awaiting the district court's call for interview process to begin.

Despite applications being submitted nearly six months ago, the process of appointment has not progressed, leaving many frustrated with the delay.

The Alandi Devasthan Trust, which oversees the administration of the revered Alandi Temple, traditionally consists of six trustees, with the district court serving as the ex-officio chairman.

In November of last year, the district court appointed three trustees—Adv. Rajendra Umap, Yogi Niranjannath, and Dr. Bhavarth Dekhne. However, the remaining three seats have yet to be filled, even though the application process concluded in mid-February this year.

The Alandi Devasthan invited applications from February 2 to February 16, with a strong response of 167 applications received by the deadline. The protracted delay in moving forward with the interview and selection process has been a source of concern, particularly for the applicants who had hoped for a quicker resolution.

Local residents of Alandi have long felt that they are underrepresented on the trust board, which has fueled ongoing dissatisfaction. They have been actively advocating for the remaining three trustee positions to be filled by local representatives, arguing that their community's direct involvement is crucial for the Devasthan's administration. This has led to several protests and meetings organized by local groups to press their demands.

“We are disappointed with the delay in the interview process,” said a local resident involved in the protests. “Alandi residents should have a voice in the trust, and we have been consistently overlooked.”

Chief Trustee Rajendra Umap said, “The process of filling the vacant trustee positions at the Alandi Devasthan is ongoing. The district court will soon conduct the interview process and make the appointments."