THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Tuesday flayed the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala, who recommended halt in appam production using rice brought by devotees, on the basis of a High Court order.
“The action of the Special Commissioner is not only improper but has crossed all limits. The rice brought by the devotees in ‘irumudikkettu’ is of the purest quality. The appam is made in hygienic conditions. It is ironic that the Special Commissioner chose to implement the High Court order banning re-use of rice brought by devotees, just days before Makaravilakku season,” the Minister said.
The High Court had in 2015 ordered that the articles brought by pilgrims in the ‘irumudikkettu’ should not be reused or recycled. The TDB has been reusing the rice brought by pilgrims in the irumudikkettu for making appam for the past many years.
Kadakampally said he suspected that the Special Commissioner’s action was ‘deliberate.’ The government, he said, has asked the Commissioner to reconsider his stand and would also inform the High Court about the matter. “If this situation continues, we will have to stop production of appam as the stock would run out in a few days,” he said.