300 unauthorised appointments under former Devaswom boards; non-existent posts also filled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 300 unauthorised appointments were made to various posts in the Travancore Devaswom Board during the tenure of previous administrative committees, it has been found. The appointments have resulted in an additional expenditure of around Rs 60 lakh a month for the board towards salaries.

Appointments were also made to posts that did not exist, including that of the editor of the Sannidhanam magazine. The post was later converted into that of a consultant. Appointments were made to non-existent posts under the guise of the duty arrangement system. The board recently dismissed a person who had been appointed in 2024 to the non-existent post of stenographer-cum-typist.

Those appointed to posts such as Kazhakam, Panchavadyam and Watcher would allegedly manage to get themselves transferred to the board's offices within two months by influencing the administrative committee. They would be transferred to posts such as driver and peon. Another person would then be appointed under the duty arrangement system to perform the work at the temples in their place.

Violation of rules

The rules stipulate that temporary and daily-wage employees should be appointed only after publishing an advertisement in newspapers and conducting interviews. Alternatively, appointments should be made through the Employment Exchange.

Appointments were also made to posts that had been handed over to the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board for recruitment. Questioning this, Recruitment Board chairman K.B. Mohandas wrote to Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar. The Devaswom Board has decided to treat these as temporary appointments and report the vacancies to the Devaswom Recruitment Board.

"After this board assumed office, we decided that appointments under the duty arrangement system would not be allowed. There will also be no temporary appointments. Recruitment to the post of overseer will be carried out through the Employment Exchange," said K. Jayakumar, president of the Travancore Devaswom Board.