Sabarimala Ghee Irregularities: Vigilance Names P.S. Prashanth, A. Ajikumar as Accused; Govt Orders Crime Branch Probe
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to hand over the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the procurement and supply of Milma ghee for Sabarimala to the Crime Branch, saying a Vigilance probe alone may not be sufficient as Devaswom Board officials and intermediaries are allegedly involved.
Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan said the Devaswom Vigilance will submit its report on the matter tomorrow, following which the government will seek a Crime Branch investigation.
“We have asked the Devaswom Vigilance for a report, and it will be submitted by tomorrow. After receiving it, the investigation will be handed over to the Crime Branch. Since Devaswom Board employees and intermediaries are involved, a Vigilance investigation alone may not be effective. The Crime Branch should investigate the matter,” Muraleedharan said.
He added that the Devaswom Department would write to the Home Minister seeking a special Crime Branch team to investigate the case after the Vigilance report is received.
Meanwhile, the Devaswom Vigilance investigation into the alleged Sabarimala ghee irregularities is continuing. A Vigilance FIR was registered naming former Travancore Devaswom Board president P.S. Prashanth, former board member A. Ajikumar and former Executive Officer Murari Babu as accused.
The Vigilance's preliminary findings point to serious irregularities in the tender process through which ghee was procured from Milma. The Devaswom Vigilance initially investigated the matter, after which a special Vigilance team took over the probe following directions from the Kerala High Court. The investigation is being led by Vigilance SP M.J. Sojan.
The case relates to allegations that a portion of the Milma ghee purchased for the preparation of 20,000 units of Aravana was allgedly diverted and sold midway, while lower-quality ghee was supplied to Sabarimala.
Tender process under scrutiny
The Devaswom Board had decided in 2024 to procure ghee from outside for the Makaravilakku season and invited tenders. Six firms participated in the tender process. However, while the proceedings were underway, the tender was cancelled and the contract was subsequently awarded to Milma.
The preliminary findings of the special investigation team reportedly indicate that there was undue intervention under the leadership of P.S. Prashanth to facilitate the award of the contract to Milma.
One of the reasons cited in favour of Milma was its lower consumption requirement for Aravana production. Normally, around 10 litres of ghee are required to prepare one batch of Aravana, while only about 7 to 7.5 litres of Milma ghee are reportedly required.
Based on this, Murari Babu, who was the Administrative Officer at the time, recommended giving preference to Milma. The Devaswom Commissioner had opposed the recommendation. However, the decision to award the contract to Milma was subsequently taken by P.S. Prashanth and A. Ajikumar, despite the Commissioner's objection.
The allegations have now brought the tendering and procurement process under scrutiny, with questions being raised over the manner in which the original tender was cancelled and the contract awarded to Milma.
TDB president stresses transparency
Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar declined to comment specifically on the alleged ghee irregularities. However, he said the key lesson from the controversy was the need to ensure complete transparency in tender procedures.
The government is now awaiting the Devaswom Vigilance report before formally moving to a Crime Branch investigation. The proposed probe is expected to examine the roles of Devaswom Board officials, intermediaries and others involved in the procurement and supply chain.