The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to clarify the “serious inconsistencies” found in the audit report of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held at Sabarimala in September.
A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar instructed that relevant information be gathered from the Kerala State Audit and the TDB to facilitate appropriate orders. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on February 27.
The bench observed that the monetary value of certain items, such as aravana, appam, vibhuti, kumkumam, and sandalwood, given to devotees and participants during the event, had not been accounted for in the financial records.
"It is seen that from the Board's stock, items such as 4100 units of aravana, 4100 packets of appam, 4100 packets of vibhuti, 4100 packets of manjal and Kumkumam, 4100 units of adhishistam ghee, and 1 kg of sandalwood were issued for distribution to the participants of the Sangamam and devotees. It is said that the monetary value of the said items has not been accounted in the books of account," it said.
The bench remarked that it is now the responsibility of the Travancore Devaswom Board to explain the reasons behind these discrepancies.
The audit report has flagged “serious inconsistencies” in the computation of the estimated bill of quantity, including discrepancies related to wooden frame center tables, food serving charges in VIP areas, and cost-plus expenditure.
Additionally, the court highlighted issues surrounding the execution of work by the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC) without a tender or bidding process on an expenditure-plus-10 percent facilitating or administrative charge.
The audit report has also contradicted claims made earlier by the TDB, revealing that the Rs 2 crore taken from the Board’s funds for the event had not been returned. Previously, Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan and then-Board President P.S. Prashanth had stated that all expenses would be covered through sponsorships.