THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Travancore Devaswom Board’s recruitment of temporary staff to Sabarimala has kicked up a controversy. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and various Hindu organisations alleged the board was recruiting only CPM workers in a bid to take on devotees protesting against the SC verdict at the shrine.
The board plans to appoint over 1,500 staff at the shrine during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. The interview for candidates started at the board headquarters on October 23. It will end on November 2.
TDB president A Padmakumar has refuted allegations of nepotism in recruitment. “The annual recruitment of temporary staff for the pilgrimage season is being done in a transparent manner this year. Advertisements were given in different media,” he said in a statement.
The TDB deploys the temporary staff for aravana preparaton, office work, potable water distribution, removal of broken coconuts, collecting pooja materials, service at annadanamandapam, guesthouses and mess.
Padmakumar flayed reports which said only CPM activists are being recruited by the TDB. They were aimed at maligning the image of the board, he said. “Never in the board’s history, appointment of temporary staff was made on the basis of political considerations. All the eligible applicants will land the jobs,” he said.
“Usually, most of the applicants will be selected. Only those who cannot produce police clearance or medical certificate will be excluded. The board is making the final arrangements for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season,” he said.
Padmakumar said the board has not made any move in violation of the apex court order lifting the curbs on the entry of women belonging to the 10-50 age group at the shrine.
‘No need for CPM to sneak in workers’
T’Puram: There is no need for the CPM to sneak in its workers to Sabarimala, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has said. He was responding to the allegation that TDB was recruiting CPM workers as temporary staff at the temple. “Every year people are recruited to do these kinds of jobs. Among them, there may be people with CPM affiliation but not CPM workers,” he said. The minister refuted speculations that TDB president A Padmakumar would put in his papers. “The board is going through tough times and the president has to face challenges. But the situation does not warrant his resignation,” he said.