The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has submitted before the Kerala High Court that they are considering curtailing the number of employees deputed for Sabarimala during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival.
It also submitted that all possible measures have been taken to provide sufficient accommodation facilities to the employees deployed at Sabarimala.
The Travancore Devaswom Board made the submission in response to a report by Devaswom ombudsman.
The report pointed out that the TDB Employees Forum had given a representation to the Ombudsman stating that the employees attending Sabarimala duty during the festival were not given proper accommodation.
According to the complaint, around 12 employees have to stay in one room, with no cots provided, at Pampa, and the employees requested that they may be provided accommodation at the upstairs of Annadanamandapam which is being constructed.
The ombudsman submitted that though a letter was given to the Travancore Devaswom Board secretary, executive officer at Sabarimala and Sabarimala Master Plan implementation committee on February 27 regarding the employees’ complaints, there was no reply.
The Ombudsman had suggested the necessity to reconsider the existing pattern of deputing employees by merely following the earlier practice.
“Now after computerisation of Vazhipadu receipts, technical production of appam and aravana and issue of receipts and prasadam by Dhanalakshimi Bank, there is a possibility of reducing the number of employees,” the ombudsman suggested.
A Division Bench comprising Justice T R Ramachandran Nair and Justice B Kemal Pasha recorded the submission and closed further proceeding in the case.