Individual 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 stated 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 implemented the marker planting.

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 some households around the temple area. The collection, disbursement and management of temple donation money was mainly assigned to the head of the incense burner. "Therefore, the locality did not know specifically, could not manage the revenue from the relic due to the people of the whole country donating, making offerings, placing offerings and using that source of funding was not clear and transparent", the inspection conclusion clearly stated.

In 2014, the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province approved the project to manage and organize activities at the Cho Cui Temple relic. Immediately after the project was issued, the People's Committee of Nghi Xuan district re-established the Cho Cui Temple relic 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 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 accounting data being dispersed 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 related 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 the donation money allocation according to the project of the Provincial People's Committee.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Phuong, former Chairman of Xuan Hong Commune People's Committee, did not closely direct and coordinate well with the relic management board in management work, leading to expansion, violations of planning boundaries, and many kiosks of households being built illegally...

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 and functions, 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 the management of the donation money of Cho Cui temple to the family of the head of the incense; establish a Management Council, conduct daily or weekly inventories and pay the donation money into the budget.

For the families of the incense keepers, request to stop occupying and managing the inner temple area of ​​Cho Cui Temple, hand it over to the Management Board of Public Services and Tourist Sites of Nghi Xuan District no later than January 15. If the families of the incense keepers do not hand it over on time, 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.