The minister’s announcement came a day after former MP Sujay Vikhe Patil said he has asked the chief executive officer of Shri Saibaba Sansthan to stop the free meal service at the temple premises, as it attracts a large number of beggars from all over the country.
During the Guru Purnima festival, Shirdi's Saibaba Temple collected over ₹6 crore in donations, served 1.9 lakh meals, and welcomed 2 lakh devotees, with a theme park project in the works.
As places of worship in the state are slated to reopen from October 7, a meeting of the district administration and the management of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust was organised to chalk out measures, the official said.
The famous Shirdi Saibaba temple has received Rs 2.28 crore from devotees in its cash boxes in the form of defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes since the announcement of demonetisation, the temple management said today.