Kerala High Court flags irregularities in Ayyappa Conclave expenses; directs Devaswom Board auditor to file statement
KOCHI: The High Court on Thursday (05 March) raised concerns over the Devaswom Board spending ₹5 crore from the Devaswom fund for the Global Ayyappa Conclave, instead of restricting it to a sponsorship amount. The court also noted the absence of proper bills to support the financial transactions. The Travancore Devaswom Board has been directed to provide a clear explanation in this regard. The issue was raised again in court, which expressed dissatisfaction over the board’s lack of financial discipline.
The Devaswom bench, comprising Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K. V. Jayakumar, identified discrepancies in the accounts while examining the audit report prepared by the chartered accounting firm Vijayan and Associates. The firm, which has been auditing the board for the past 10 years, was also asked to submit suggestions to improve financial management. The matter will be considered again on April 1.
The auditor also found that the management of the Ayyappa Conclave was awarded to the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC), a subsidiary of the Uralungal Society, without inviting tenders. The total cost shown is ₹7.04 crore, of which ₹3 crore was paid in advance. IIIC claims that the remaining ₹4.04 crore is yet to be paid.