High Court orders flouted: Devaswom president halts fraudulent official transfer list

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major controversy has erupted within the Travancore Devaswom Board following allegations of widespread corruption and violations of High Court directives in the proposed transfer of top officials. The controversy centres around the postings of Administrative Officers and Assistant Commissioners to high-revenue 'Major' temples, with sources alleging that bribery running into lakhs of rupees guided the selection process.

The brewing crisis was temporarily halted after the Devaswom Board President objected to the blatant violation of established guidelines, leading to the draft transfer list being put on hold.

Investigations reveal that a powerful lobby operating out of the Board headquarters orchestrated the manipulation of the transfer list. The TDB has strict, legally binding guidelines for transfers, which have previously been ratified by the Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court.

According to these norms, officials serving as temple officers for one year must be rotated out to group administrative offices the following year. Furthermore, the guidelines explicitly bar individuals with track records of serious negligence, adverse audit remarks, pending vigilance cases, or failures in remitting temple collections to the Board from holding temple charges. Such individuals face a mandatory three-year ban from key postings and are liable to face criminal prosecution.

The draft list submitted to the Devaswom Commissioner’s office, however, bypassed these criteria entirely. Incriminating investigative reports were allegedly suppressed to accommodate officials facing charges of financial misappropriation. In one notable instance, the list included an official who had embezzled temple funds two years ago and only returned the money last month when an official audit was announced.

The highest volume of applications and political recommendations were recorded for premier temples under the Board's jurisdiction, including Malayalapuzha, Chettikulangara, Ettumanoor, Valliyamkavu, Thiruvallam, and Sreekanteswaram.

The intense lobbying for these specific shrines stems from the immense unofficial revenue generated by Administrative Officers beyond their official salaries. Administrative Officers retain total control over the procurement of materials for ritual offerings (pooja dravyam). Under the current system, only half of the revenue collected from devotees for specific rituals reaches the Devaswom Board coffers, while the remaining portion remains at the disposal of the purchasing officers.

Insiders allege that the illicit bidding for a posting at these lucrative temples ranges between ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh, prompting demands for a thorough investigation into the irregularities within the department.