Dialysis centre cannot be run with Devaswom Board funds; HC quashes Cochin Devaswom Board's decision

KOCHI: The High Court said that the decision of the Cochin Devaswom Board to open a free dialysis centre in Thrissur is wrong. The court also quashed the board's order to start a dialysis centre and the order setting aside Rs 40 lakh from the Devaswom public fund for this purpose.

Devaswom bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Harishankar V Menon noted that according to the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, if there is a surplus after the daily expenses of the temples under the Board then that can be used only for the educational, economic and cultural upliftment of the Hindu community.

The Devaswom Board should seek permission from the High Court to spend more than Rs 20 lakh. That was not followed in the case with the dialysis centre. The order also said that it was not appropriate to set aside Rs 40 lakh from the Devaswom fund for the dialysis centre.

It was decided that after investing the amount from the Devaswom public fund, it would be repaid later when the amount was received as a donation. The high court had taken suo motu cognisance of the complaint of a devotee named Sreekumar.

Dhanvantari Dialysis Centre

One of the abandoned Devaswom quarters in the heart of Thrissur city was renovated at a cost of lakhs of rupees and converted into Dhanvantari Dialysis Centre. It was decided to provide service to anyone irrespective of religion. The Rotary Club provided two dialysis machines. Daya Hospital and Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust entered into an agreement with devaswom to run the centre. Former Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan inaugurated the centre on January 1, 2024, but the centre did not function for a single day.