Sabarimala ashtabhishekam: TDB suffered no loss, Kerala HC told

Kochi: The state audit department has submitted a statement before high court, stating that the devaswom fund of TDB suffered no loss on account of the ashtabhishekam conducted at Sabarimala temple over the last 10 years.State audit department deputy director Rema Rajan filed the statement in compliance with an HC directive after a report by TDB chief vigilance and security officer alleged misappropriation of devaswom funds in connection with the procurement of pooja materials for conducting ashtabhishekam. The items required for the ashtabhishekam are panchamrutham, ghee, honey, bhasmam, kalabham, milk, tender coconut and panineer.

Of these, the first five items are sourced from the devaswom store, while milk, coconut and panineer are purchased or procured by the administrative officer. The vigilance report stated that, for each ashtabhishekam, the administrative officer charged Rs 300 towards the cost of the entire set of items, even though only three items were procured from outside, without producing bills or valid purchase vouchers to substantiate the expenditure.

The audit department examined the accounts relating to the ashtabhishekam and reported that the administrative officer charged Rs 300 towards supplier costs to meet the expenditure incurred for purchasing one litre of milk, one litre of panineer and five tender coconuts, which were the only items required to be purchased externally for conducting the vazhipadu. The department observed that the supplier cost of Rs 300 appeared reasonable.

It was also stated that, despite the amount charged from devotees for the ashtabhishekam being enhanced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 in 2021, the supplier cost had not been revised since 2016.Additionally, the report noted that no stock register or ledger was maintained for vazhipadu articles such as milk, panineer and coconut procured directly by the administrative officer. It further recommended the proper maintenance of records relating to the stock accounting of all vazhipadu articles to facilitate effective inventory control and accountability.