Kerala - Kottayam   

‘State interferes in temple matters’

Ramesh Chennithala has called for strengthening of Devaswom autonomy.

KOTTAYAM: KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the government is trying to interfere in temple administration in the pretext of fighting corruption.

Flagging off a rally in connection with the second State conference of the Travancore Devaswom Board Employees Front here on Sunday, Mr. Chennithala said steps taken by the government had done away with the autonomy of Devaswom administration. “This is a dangerous development,” he said.

He said there was a need to make the Devaswom administration more efficient. However, the government was trying to do away with the autonomy of the Devaswom administration in the pretext of making it more efficient, he said.

The need of the hour was to bring in reforms which would strengthen the autonomy of the administration, be beneficial to the Devaswom employees and all importantly, bring more facilities to the devotees, he said. Government’s interference in religious matters would lead to a dangerous situation in a democracy, Mr. Chennithala added.

He alleged that the government was treating the Sabarimala pilgrim season as a milch cow.

“It is estimated that nearly Rs.1,500 crore comes into the State in the form of revenue from various sources during the pilgrim season. However, instead of providing more facilities and extending assistance to the Ayyappa temple and the pilgrims, the State government was imposing various charges for the services rendered by various departments,” Mr. Chennithala said.

He called for subsidised rates for power and security on the temple premises during the season. “Instead of taking away all the funds generated during the pilgrim season, the authorities should give back a part of it,” he said.

He pointed out that the ensuing pilgrim season in Sabarimala was the first in which the Travancore Devaswom Board was kept out of the administration.

“The changed situation has brought added responsibility on the government to make the arrangements flawless,” he said and called upon the authorities to expedite arrangements to make things easy for the pilgrims during the season, which was only a few days away.

He alleged that there was a concerted effort to stifle the voice of non-Left trade and service organisations in the TDB. Mr. Chennithala wanted the authorities to hold a referendum without delay among the TDB employees to ascertain the strength of various unions functioning in the board. The conference will continue on Monday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

‘State interferes in temple matters’

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu