Sathya Sai Trust vows to continue Baba's work

At its first meeting after the godman's demise, the trust passed a resolution paying glowing homage to the spiritual leader even as thousands of his followers continued to file past his body kept at Prashanti Nilayam.

"The task that lies ahead of the trust is unquestionably enormous and complex, particularly in the absence of personal guidance from Baba," said a statement issued here in the name of Baba's nephew and trust member R.J. Ratnakar. The statement did not provide any details like how many trust members attended the meeting.

"The trustees and members of the council of management unanimously offer themselves in all humility and a sense of total unity at the lotus feet of Baba and pray to guide and inspire so that the trust he founded continues to make the difficult achievable and the impossible a reality exactly as it happened when he guided the trust earlier," said the statement.

"It is our hope that he would graciously accept our prayer and respond to it so that the trust shines now and forever with the radiance that is the hallmark of the founder."

Ratnakar, who is the only relative of Baba on the trust, is believed to have differences with some other members of the trust.

The trust, which has six members including secretary K. Chakravarthi, former chief justice of India P.N. Bhagwati and former central vigilance commissioner S.V. Giri, runs the affairs of the massive empire estimated to be worth over Rs.40,000 crore.

The last rites of Satya Sai Baba are to be held Wednesday morning at the Prashanti Nilayam with state honours.