HC expresses anguish at functioning of TDB

KOCHI: The High Court expressed its anguish at the functioning of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which looks after various temples, including the famous Lord Ayappa shrine at Sabarimala.

The bench comprising Justices P R Raman and V K Mohanan said even in the matter of convening board meetings and taking decision thereon there was sharp differences of opinion among the board members. This was not a ‘healthy’ trend.

Having due regard to the high office the members occupy and the public duty cast on them in the matter of administration of temples under it, they should rise to the occasion, it said.

The observations were made on a petition filed by Ravindran Pillai of Mavelikkara seeking for a direction to the board to convene regular meetings.

Large number of devotees visit the Sabarimala temple and as regular meetings were not held, decisions had been held up following which inconvenience had been caused to devotees, he submitted.

Whether the board meeting should be held thrice a week, once a week or at what intervals will depend on number of items pending for the board’s consideration, the court said.

However, the court directed the board to dispose all pending matters within a period of six weeks.

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