Consider disciplining former district chairman related to revenue and expenditure of Cho Cui temple

Individuals managing the donation money of the relic

Recently, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province issued Inspection Conclusion No. 07/KL-UBND dated January 5, 2024 on violations at Cho Cui Temple (located in Xuan Hong commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province). Accordingly, the inspection conclusion clearly stated that from 2014 to 2023, the Management Board of Cho Cui Temple relic failed to demonstrate its management role, did not properly perform its functions and tasks as in the project approved by the Provincial People's Committee, and the management work at the relic still had many shortcomings.

According to the inspection conclusion of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province, in 2010, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province approved the detailed planning of Cho Cui temple relic (scale 1/500) with an area of ​​8.44 hectares, but up to now, the People's Committee of Nghi Xuan district has not yet carried out the marking.

The inspection conclusion clearly stated that before 2013, Cho Cui Temple operated according to the spontaneous beliefs of the people, managed by the People's Committee of Xuan Hong Commune and a number of households around the temple area. The collection, disbursement and management of temple donations were mainly assigned to the head of the incense burner. "Therefore, the locality did not know specifically, could not manage the revenue from the relics donated, offered, and paid by people nationwide, and the use of that source of funding was unclear and unclear," the inspection conclusion clearly stated.

A corner at Cho Cui Temple.

In 2014, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province approved the project to manage and organize activities at the Cho Cui Temple relic site. Immediately after the project was issued, the People's Committee of Nghi Xuan district re-established the Cho Cui Temple relic site management board under the district People's Committee - a revenue-generating public service unit with its own seal and account. The total amount of funds collected by the relic site management board from 2014 to 2022 is more than 19 billion VND. Of which, the donation money collected by the families of the head of the incense Nguyen Sy Quy and Mr. Nguyen Sy Hoa is 17.9 billion VND.

The inspection conclusion affirmed: "The relic management board does not directly participate in monitoring and inventorying the source of donation revenue but leaves it entirely to the family of the head of the incense altar to do so, so it does not have the actual data on revenue and expenditure. This leads to financial and accounting data being scattered across many accounting systems...".

In addition, the relic management board also allowed households to illegally build 12 kiosks for business outside the temple area.

Proposal to handle many officials

Faced with the problems occurring at Cho Cui Temple relic, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province has requested to handle the responsibilities of relevant individuals and groups.

Specifically: Mr. Nguyen Hai Nam, former Chairman of Nghi Xuan District People's Committee, was considered for disciplinary action for organizing a meeting to agree on collecting donation money in 2016 without the participation of relevant departments and branches. In 2018 and 2019, Mr. Nam directly signed the decision to collect and pay donation money to the Cho Cui Temple Relic Management Board each year, which was 2.5 billion VND. This is not consistent with the content of allocating donation money according to the project of the Provincial People's Committee.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Phuong, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Hong commune, has not closely directed and coordinated well with the relic management board in management work, leading to expansion, violations of planning boundaries, and many illegal construction of kiosks by households...

Every year, Cho Cui Temple welcomes millions of visitors from within and outside the province to offer incense.

Mr. Tran Vu Quang, Nguyen Long Thien, Dau Dinh Ha (former Head of the Management Board of Cho Cui Temple relic) are the people responsible for management and protection, but they did not properly perform their roles, functions and duties, leading to many shortcomings in their activities and many complaints.

In addition, consider the responsibility of organizations such as the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nghi Xuan District People's Committee, Cho Cui Temple Relic Management Board, and Xuan Hong Commune People's Committee for not performing well their roles, functions and tasks, leading to violations at the relic.

From the above violations, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province assigned the People's Committee of Nghi Xuan district to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments and branches to stop the assignment of management of the donation money of Cho Cui temple to the family of the incense keeper; establish a Management Council, conduct daily or weekly inventories and pay the donation money into the budget.

For the families of the incense-keepers, it is required to stop occupying and managing the inner area of ​​Cho Cui Temple and hand it over to the Management Board of Public Services and Tourist Attractions of Nghi Xuan District no later than January 15. If the families of the incense-keepers do not hand over within the deadline, the Nghi Xuan District People's Committee will organize the enforcement of the handover and manage the entire Cho Cui Temple relic in accordance with the law.

Cho Củi Temple relic (Xuan Hong commune, Nghi Xuan district) was ranked as a national historical, architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1993. According to the ranking records, Cho Củi Temple is a unique and ancient architectural work built during the Le So dynasty, located at the foot of Ngu Ma mountain on the bank of Lam river.

The temple has an architecture consisting of three buildings: the lower hall, the main hall and the upper hall, with the worshiping palaces of the Three Holy Mothers (Mother of the Three Palaces), the Five Gods, the Hoang Muoi Palace, the Chau Muoi Palace, and the Tran Trieu Palace (worshiping Saint Tran).

Cho Củi Temple is said to be a sacred place, so many visitors come here to visit and pray for peace. This is a cultural and spiritual relic owned by the community, not a private place of worship for a household, an individual or a clan.

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/xem-xet-ky-luat-nguyen-chu-tich-huyen-lien-quan-thu-chi-den-cho-cui-a644150.html