Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board on Saturday rejected allegations of financial irregularities in the conduct of the Global Ayyappa Meet held at Pamba in September last year, even as the Kerala High Court earlier this week came down heavily on lapses in financial accountability linked to the event.
In a detailed statement, the Board termed recent media reports “baseless and misleading”, particularly claims that public funds were used to purchase a bed for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
It clarified that neither the audit report nor the submission made by the Special Commissioner before the High Court mentioned any such expenditure.
The allocation of Rs 3.83 lakh under the head ‘Furniture and Miscellaneous Items for Existing Office Complex and Guest House’ was part of routine renovation works at the Pamba guest house used by visiting dignitaries, including Union Ministers and judges, the Board said.
The High Court had expressed serious concern over procedural and accounting discrepancies in the conduct of the meet, directing that the accounts be examined and placed before the Special Commissioner.
The Board acknowledged that certain inconsistencies had crept into the Chartered Accountant’s report, attributing them to the need to meet the court’s deadline before a fuller verification process.
On the controversy surrounding payments for a ‘bhajan’ performance, the Board said Rs 8 lakh was paid to a music troupe led by Ishan Dev, involving over 35 artistes and technicians.
It denied that any payment was made to ‘Nandagovindam Bhajans’, stating that the reference in the audit report arose from an inadvertent error in documentation submitted by the event management agency.
The Board also detailed the financial structure of the event, stating that Rs 5 crore from the 2025–26 budget was temporarily placed in a special account to ensure smooth conduct pending sponsorship inflows.
Of this, Rs 3 crore was paid as advance to the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC), the appointed event management agency.
Sponsorship of Rs 3 crore received from Dhanalakshmi Bank and Kerala Bank has since been credited back to the Board’s general fund, it said.
Dismissing allegations of inflated food bills, the Board maintained that meals were served to devotees, workers and guests without discrimination, often exceeding initial estimates.
With judicial scrutiny ongoing, the controversy has intensified debate over transparency in managing large-scale religious events tied to the globally renowned Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Trying his best to defend the Pinarayi Vijayan government, CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan said all what is being heard are mere estimates and not actuals. However, questions are being asked about the audit report.
This issue has now snowballed into a major goof up of the Board and the Devasom Ministry headed by State Minister V.N.Vasavan, who has been putting it on the Board and his stock statement has been, the Board is an autonomous institution.
Veteran Congress leader K. Muraleedharan said things have reached a stage that the only thing that now remains in Sabarimala is Lord Ayyappa’s idol.
“The state government says the meet was conducted by the Board but how come the State Protocol officer booked rooms at distant places in Munnar and Kumarakom for the invited guests, when the event was held at Pamba. Vasavan has to resign for this loot,” said Muraleedharan.
(IANS)
