Sabarimala to Adopt E-Tenders, E-Auctions; Direct Bidding and Regular Contractors to End
Thiruvananthapuram, August 7: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of procurement and auction procedures at Sabarimala, with plans to introduce e-tendering and e-auctions and discontinue direct bidding practices.
Speaking to reporters, TDB President K. Jayakumar said the measures were aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the procurement of materials used for Sabarimala offerings.
“We have decided to ensure the highest level of transparency and caution in the procurement of all items required for Sabarimala offerings,” Jayakumar said, stressing that irregularities reported in the past should not be repeated.
An open tender has already been invited for 24 items, while the Board is set to finalise fresh guidelines to make the tendering process more transparent and competitive.
The Board will also introduce new guidelines for contract auctions, locally known as kuthaka lelam, which have faced complaints in the past. Jayakumar said major quantities of essential items such as jaggery, ghee, cumin and dry ginger are procured for Sabarimala offerings and that all such procurement would henceforth be routed through the e-tender system.
“People will no longer need to visit the Board office in person, as all inquiries will be handled online. We are taking steps to identify and eliminate undesirable practices followed in the past,” he said.
As part of the reform, direct bidding will be discontinued and auctions will be conducted through an e-auction platform. The Board also plans to move away from the existing system of relying on regular contractors.
Meanwhile, the Devaswom Vigilance wing has been entrusted with a detailed inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the procurement of ghee at Sabarimala. In line with the court's directions, the inquiry will examine whether any Board employees had a role in the alleged irregularities, without interfering with other ongoing investigations.
A Devaswom Vigilance team led by DySP Hari has reached the Board headquarters and is expected to collect and examine relevant records as part of the probe.
The Board has also decided to establish a laboratory at Sannidhanam to test the quality of ghee brought by devotees. The testing will determine whether the ghee is suitable for use in preparing Appam and Aravana.
Jayakumar said the Board would not compromise the transparency of the tender process by rushing it to meet an earlier schedule.
“It does not matter if the process began later than last year. We do not want to hurry and make mistakes. All tender procedures will be completed before November,” he said.