Thiruvananthapuram/Thrissur: Devaswom minister K Muraleedharan has expressed strong displeasure over a series of transfers carried out by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), alleging that established norms and eligibility criteria were ignored in several appointments.
The minister has conveyed his concerns to the TDB president and sought a review of the transfers. He alleged that officials linked to the Sabarimala gold heist case had been appointed to key positions within the devaswom administration. Among the appointments that have drawn criticism is that of an official who had prepared a report in the Sabarimala gold theft case claiming that the missing gold was in fact copper. The official has now been posted as an administrative officer at a major temple under TDB.
Another controversial appointment involves an official who had faced allegations during a vigilance inquiry for allegedly failing to return advance funds received in connection with a temple festival. Despite the allegations, the official was appointed as a vigilance officer at the board’s headquarters.
“I refrained from making any comments assuming that TDB president K Jayakumar is an independent person. But this board has been appointed by the LDF, and in a way it is a continuation of the LDF legacy. When TDB issued the transfer orders on Saturday, we had noticed that some of the officials who were involved in the Sabarimala gold scam have been posted in key positions. We have asked the devaswom to correct those mistakes,” the minister told reporters in Guruvayur.
Muraleedharan warned that if the transfer order was not revised, the board itself could be viewed as complicit in the irregularities connected to the gold theft case. He also stated that the govt would intervene if it found the contents of the chargesheet in the case to be unsatisfactory.
The transfers have triggered widespread complaints from employee groups and other stakeholders, who allege that the appointments were made without due regard for service records, suitability and prescribed norms. Several complaints have reportedly been submitted to the govt and the devaswom department seeking a review of the decisions.
The controversy has raised fresh concerns over transparency and accountability within the board. The board’s response to the allegations, as well as any further action by the govt, is expected to be closely watched in the coming days. Meanwhile, TDB president K Jayakumar has convened a meeting of the TDB officials to discuss the complaints that have come in the transfer and promotion list on Tuesday.
