Mumbai, Jan 28: In what could be a bad news for VIP devotees of the Shirdi Saibaba temple, the authorities have decided to bar devotees with VIP passes from the temple on weekdays, including charging them for performing prayers at the shrine over the weekends and during festivals.

"A meeting of the Shirdi Sansthan trustees was held here yesterday in which it was decided to implement the scheme on a trial basis for three months," a trustee said in a news agency report.

Stating that the only those with VIP passed will be affected, the trustee said that a proposal to charge Rs 500 for 'kakad arti' and Rs 250 for 'dhoop arti' was put forward in the meeting.

The meeting was attended by state Law and Judiciary Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Sansthan chief Jayant Sasane.