Synopsis
The Kerala High Court has accepted a significant affidavit from the state Audit Department, revealing alarming financial irregularities within the Guruvayur Devaswom's accounts. The report indicates mismanagement of funds, cybersecurity issues, and other discrepancies that raise serious concerns about the temple's administration.Key Takeaways
- The Kerala High Court is addressing financial irregularities in Guruvayur Devaswom.
- The audit highlights severe mismanagement of funds.
- Issues with CCTV installations raise security concerns.
- The Devaswom has substantial deposits in various banks.
- Calls for transparency in financial dealings are increasing.
Kochi, Feb 5 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court has recently accepted an affidavit submitted by the state Audit Department, which outlines financial discrepancies in the accounts of the Guruvayur Devaswom, indicating inadequate accounting of both receipts and expenditures by the temple management.
The Guruvayur Devasom oversees the renowned Sree Krishna Temple, one of the busiest temples in Kerala, located in Guruvayur, Thrissur district.
A division bench comprising Justices Anil K. Narendran and S. Muralee Krishna acknowledged that the affidavit presents grave accusations of mismanagement concerning the Devaswom's financial records.
This audit report was prompted by a petition from Dr. PS Mahendra Kumar, who requested the court to mandate the Devaswom to reveal information regarding its deposits in cooperative societies, due to concerns surrounding financial mismanagement and recent banking scandals in Thrissur.
The affidavit details numerous financial irregularities, mismanagement of temple resources, and failures in cybersecurity measures, which raised substantial worries regarding the administration of temples under the Guruvayur Devaswom Board.
It was highlighted that the temple's superintendent, manager, and deputy administrator did not ensure that the funds collected were accurately deposited.
The report indicated that as of October 5, 2023, the Devaswom held fixed deposits totaling Rs 1,975.90 crore in various nationalized and scheduled banks as well as cooperative urban banks.
Another significant issue mentioned in the affidavit was the installation of CCTV cameras under the Central government's PRASAD scheme.
The project, which was assigned to Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS), incurred costs exceeding Rs 5 crore. However, defects in the CCTV installation were discovered during the defect liability period, which the contractor failed to address, forcing the Devaswom to spend an additional Rs 4.05 lakh on replacing faulty equipment, including UPS batteries.
Furthermore, it was noted that despite repeated requests, the CCTV system is not operating at full capacity, creating significant security concerns for the temple.
