'Deputation staff misusing TDB funds'

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 15. The Travancore Devaswom Board organisations protection committee convener, Mr. K.C. Vamadevan, has called upon the employees to fight against the extravagance and inefficiency of the board.

In a statement here today, Mr. Vamadevan said the directions given by the court and expert committees set up to streamline the administration had proved futile. He said the board was gradually moving towards a dangerous situation. Earlier there was a trade union to criticise the lapses. Since unions had been banned, there was no one to initiate corrective measures, he said.

The staff on deputation had been allegedly misusing the funds earned by the temple staff who work from dawn to dusk. When the 1,500 temple employees and board officials live in sheds without proper facilities at Sabarimala performing their duty, the revenue earned by their toil is allegedly being misused by a section of the officials, he said.

Mr. Vamadevan, after pointing out certain instances of excessive spending, said that the board opted for an external probe into the aravana scam, when it had a Vigilance Officer and sufficient staff at its command.

The board members who had levelled serious allegations against the former president were keeping mum now. Even now, the salary for the last grade employees are given in three installments. Same is the case of pensioners too, he said.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Travancore Devaswom Board Employees Front said that the State Government should form a special squad under an officer of the rank of IG to probe the charges levelled against the preparation and packing of aravana.

Had the Government and the board acted on time, the series of allegations could have been avoided, the meeting said. The State president, Mr. M.S. Sanal Kumar, presided. The secretaries, Mr. G. Baiju, Mr. G. Sasikumar, Mr. Chavara Gopakumar, Mr. P.S. Prasad, and Mr. D. Satish Kumar, were among those who addressed the meeting.

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Section  : Southern States
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