Corruption rampant in the name of Temples

Thiruvananthapuram: The prime reason cited by the Devaswom Minister to bring new Devaswom ordinance was to eliminate corruption from devaswom Department and in the guise of stopping corruption, a New Devaswom ordinance was passed which ensured Temple looting and PSC appointments in Temples so that they can push more communist sympathisers as happened in the case of Kerala university appointments.

 

Ever since the new Board of Sudhagaran took charge under the so called Corruption free Devaswom Ordinance, The Temple administration stooped to ever time low , The CPM interested only in

Temple

money interfered in each and every aspect and corruption in the Board escalated to ever time high.  

 

Mangalam daily exposed widespread corruption in the appointment of temple priests (Pujaris) in temples under Travancode Devaswom Board. There were vacancies for 68 Pujaris and the board has received 350 applications. A board member has collected two to three lakhs from the candidates as bribe .The board has also dumped a 14 year old law to protect these illegal appointments.

 

Interviews for these posts were held in three stages. In the interview the Thantri can award up to 60 marks out of hundred to each candidate .The rest 40 marks are given by the board members. One member did not put any marks deliberately. The idea was to add enough marks for a given candidate to qualify for the post after the interview is over.

 

The member, after collecting lakhs of rupees from the candidates, demanded the board to convene a meeting to finalise the short list. But when the president and the other member informed that short list has already been finalised, the member argued that no mark has been given by the member. The member has blocked the list from being published.

 

It is the member’s son who is pulling the strings from behind and the main agent who collected money is a Personal Assistant of a former Board Member. The political leader who was instrumental in the appointment of this member is also involved in this fraud. A recently appointed senior official is also involved whose three relatives have found their way to the short list.

 

It is also confirmed that big amounts were withdrawn from the bank accounts of candidates and their parents, last week.

 

It is also reported that there is widespread corruption in transferring devaswom employees. Recently the board has cancelled an order that came into force in 1944 regarding appointing women in sub groups.

 

The order prohibits women below the age of 50 from being appointed in subgroups. After cancelling this order, the board has appointed some women employees in key positions in sub groups after taking huge bribes. The bribe was taken depending on the income of the temples in which they were appointed.

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