Date:03/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/03/stories/2008120355080900.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Attempts to sabotage Sabarimala fete alleged

Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA: Travancore Devaswom Commissioner P.V. Nalinakshan Nair has wrote to R. Bhaskaran, Ombudsman for Travancore and Kochi Devaswom boards, expressing fears that concerted efforts are on to sabotage the Sabarimala festival.

In the letter, a copy of which was forwarded to Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran, Mr. Nair expressed fears that the efforts were to “demoralise” officials who were working with sincerity and thus disrupt the festival.

The Devaswom Board has five senior officials and around 20 of their subordinates who have been working overtime, with commendable commitment, to ensure that the proceedings on the holy hills went on smoothly.

However, these officials were now feeling “uneasy” and “insecure” due to various reasons. Some of them had even called up Mr. Nair, conveying their reluctance to continue in duty and asking to be relieved, he said.

Mr. Nair pointed out that though the powers to decide on the duties of officials and depute them accordingly were vested with him, there were several instances of officials being relieved, reverted to other posts and of deputations made by him being cancelled without consulting him.

A special meeting of the Devaswom Board on November 29 had even suspended Thiruvalla Assistant Devaswom Commissioner G. Anilkumar, who had been deputed by Mr. Nair as the Sabarimala Accommodation Officer.

The situation was such that several officials who were deputed were not turning up for duty and disobeying the Commissioner as well, he said, requesting the Ombudsman for urgent steps to overcome the “crisis”.