KOCHI: Many temples are leaking. Daily expenses have been hit. It has been five years since the pensions have been paid. Even in this situation, the Cochin Devaswom Board spent Rs 50 lakh on the comforts of the new commissioner who came on deputation. Half a crore was spent on a new car and on making the quarters more attractive.

AC, TV, bed, stove, kitchen utensils and even heater were purchased at the expense of devotees. The Devaswom rules state that it is the residents who should bear the cost of maintaining the quarters. Deputy Secretary S.R. Udayakumar from the Secretariat took charge as the commissioner four months ago.

A Maruti S Cross worth Rs 17 lakh was purchased instead of the four-year-old Ford Escort bought for the former commissioner. The new car will arrive today or tomorrow. Rs 26 lakh was spent on the maintenance of the quarters in Thrissur. The housewarming was two weeks ago. Board Secretary P. Bindu, Deputy Commissioner K. Sunilkumar and other high-ranking officials attended.

All the former commissioners lived in rented houses. The Devaswom has twenty quarters in the Thrissur city centre. Most of them are in a dilapidated state. If this much money had been spent, at least some of them could have been saved.

The term of the board president Dr. MK Sudarshan ended last month. The term of both the members will end next Monday. There are 409 temples under the board.

Assistant suspended for posting in WhatsApp group

Counter assistant S. Abhilash of the Ernakulam Shiva temple, who posted in the employees' WhatsApp group about the commissioner's extravagance, was suspended on Feb. 18. He is accused of portraying the commissioner as corrupt in a defamatory manner.

It is unfair to buy household items at the expense of devotees. Action should be taken against the extravagant spending.

R.V. Babu,

President, Hindu Aikya Vedi