What is important a shelter for Sri Krishna’s cows or a Que complex to loot money?

Unscientific Measures Implemented in Guruvayur in the Name of Development will Ruin Temple: Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti

Kochi: The Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti has warned the Devaswom Board against implementing unscientific measures in the name of development. Alleging that such activities will ensure collapse of the temple’s financial state, the Samiti has sought accountability regarding the matter.

“The plans and schemes being envisaged by Devaswom Board is thoroughly unscientific and ill lead to collapse of the temple’s financial standard. Spending 150 crores for constructing a queue complex will destroy the temple financially. The Devaswom does not have money for paying dues of those who retired in May this year. It is under such circumstances that this colossal amount is being spent for a queue complex. The very deviation from the first master plan to the current one is by itself a grossly mischievous measure,” said state secretary of Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti TU Mohanan.

Pointing out that Sree Guruvayurappan Temple has an income of 23 crores every month, out of which the expense is 21.5 crores. “What is left is a crore and a half, which means that the Devaswom Board gets 18 crores on a yearly basis. The Devaswom Board should explain how a temple that had an income of 600 crores now has such reduced income. Deposits of gold, silver etc are shown as deposits, out of which, each year during the time of Akshaya Tritiya, the precious metals are taken for the making of lockets. The board gets this in the form of cash. This way, deposit is definitely on the wane,” he said.

Alleging that the temple’s plan of indulging in unwanted construction activities is a means of squandering lakhs of rupees, the Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti said that such instances have occurred previously too. “A memorial for Guruvayur Satyagraha was planned with an estimate of three and half crore rupees. But hen the work was over, the expense was revealed to be 17.5 crores. This fraudulence was done to ensure that the contractor is aided on a monetary basis, whereby the project details were restructured. And the saddest part is that the commemorative building lies unused. The rent was exorbitantly priced, which made people back out from using the same. There are 25 AC rooms, which have been lying unused, all because of construction errors. Still around 20 lakhs have been spent for the maintenance of this unused building,” said TU Mohanan.

Same is the case of Panchajanyam annex, he said, which has spanned for over a period of 8 years. “The contractor left on the stealth without completing the work. Even though he was blacklisted by Thottathil Raveendran, the successive administration under Chandra Mohan exonerated him. Still the work remained incomplete.”

Exposing the pathetic state of goshala maintained by Guruvayur Temple Devaswom Board, Mohanan said that over 25 bovines die every month. “A cowshed that has over 1200 cows is not given enough facilities. Proper care is also not given. There are only two caretakers for the entire goshala. The wall has collapsed on one side, which helps many people sneak in and steal cows. The goshala stands on 90 acres of land. But a proper shed is missing,” he added

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