PALAKKAD: A devaswom board employee died due to lack of money for treatment. The dead is K Chandran (57), a security guard at Pallikurup Mahavishnu Temple in Palakkad. He was an employee of the Malabar Devaswom Board. He had to get Rs 4 lakh as salary arrears. He had approached the devaswom authorities after he ran short of money for treatment and daily expenses, but the family alleged that no action was taken.

Chandran had been an employee of the Malabar Devaswom Board since 1996. He had to get Rs 3 lakh as arrears from 2010 to 2015 and Rs one lakh withheld for other reasons. The family also alleged that the devaswom board did not consider his application for voluntary retirement in 2024 when his illness worsened.

Meantime, the Malabar Devaswom Board claimed that they are not responsible for the salary arrears. The executive officer of the temple clarified that despite applying to the Malabar Devaswom Board, the funds were not received and that is why the salary arrears occurred. According to rules, temples with income are required to pay salaries for their own employees. The explanation from the Malabar Devaswom Board is that the temple that should pay salaries to people including Chandran. The devaswom board clarified that the Pallikurup Mahavishnu Temple is not eligible for government grants as per rules.