Ayyappa Conclave, a total mess! Why did Devaswom Board spend Rs five crores? HC expresses deep dissatisfaction

KOCHI: The High Court raised concern over the Devaswom Board spending Rs five crore from the Devaswom fund for the Global Ayyappa conclave, instead of limiting it to sponsorship amount. The court also remarked that there was an absence of proper bills to cite the financial transactions. The Travancore Devaswom Board should provide a proper explanation in this regard. The matter was raised once again, and the court expressed deep dissatisfaction over the board's lack of financial discipline.

The Devaswom bench, comprising Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K. V. Jayakumar, identified discrepancies in the accounts while examining the audit report prepared by the chartered accounting firm Vijayan and Associates. The firm, which has been auditing the board for the past 10 years, was also asked to submit suggestions for improving financial management. The matter will be considered again on April 1.

The auditor had found that the management of the Ayyappa Conclave was awarded to the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC), a subsidiary of the Uralungal Society, without inviting tenders. The total cost shown is Rs 7.05 crore. Of this, Rs 3 crore was paid in advance. The IIIC claims that the remaining Rs 4.05 crore is yet to be paid.