Punit Balan Elected President of Shrimati Laxmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datt Mandir Trust in Pune
Pune, 17th June 2026: The newly constituted board of trustees of the Late Smt. Laxmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datt Mandir Trust has been announced, with Punitdada Balan being elected as the President of the Trust.
“I wholeheartedly welcome the verdict delivered by the Charity Commissioner. It reinforces the belief that justice may be delayed, but it is never denied. As President of the Datt Mandir Trust, our focus will remain on preserving the temple’s traditions, faith, and cultural values while implementing more welfare-oriented and socially beneficial initiatives for devotees. We are committed to strengthening our social responsibility through the Trust, with service to devotees being our highest priority”, sqid Punit Balan, president, Late Smt. Laxmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datt Mandir Trust.
Raju Balkawade has been appointed as the Executive Trustee, while Adv. Vivek Bhargude and Varsha Thorve have been elected as Vice Presidents. Suraj Thorat has been entrusted with the responsibility of Treasurer, Nitin Pandit has been appointed as Festival Head, and Manishatai Khedekar has been named Deputy Festival Head. Parag Kalkar and Mahendrasheth Gadhave have also been inducted as trustees.
Earlier, allegations of irregularities had been raised regarding the trustee selection process. However, following an inquiry, the court clarified that no irregularities had taken place. Subsequently, the new board of trustees was finalized in accordance with the directives issued by the Charity Commissioner.
Devotees have expressed confidence that the appointment of the new board will further strengthen the temple’s religious, social, and cultural initiatives.
