The Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) legal reforms committee has recommended that the administration of temples under the board be vested in it rather than with traditional trustees. However, the right of traditional trustees to carry out traditional rituals would be protected.
A press note here on Thursday said that until now appointments to major temples under the Devaswom and disciplinary actions were taken by the traditional trustees. This should now be the prerogative of the board.
These recommendations of the reforms committee come at a time when complaints were being raised about the way the offerings of devotees, temple properties and appointments were being misused.
The income from all the temples would be brought into a consolidated account and distributed to all temples according to their need. With this, the plight of temples with no money to conduct daily puja would improve.
The committee has recommended that daily rituals in temples, festivals, maintenance work and construction work be vested with the Devaswom board. The right to distribute pension and gratuity to temple employees shall also vest with the board.
Moreover, it shall be the board that determines the number of employees in temples and associated institutions and makes appointments. The committee has recommended that the disbursal of salary to temple employees, executive officers and administrative staff shall be done directly by the board. The committee has also recommended that the government continue providing grants to temples.
The report was handed over to Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Thursday. The committee was headed by advocate K. Gopalakrishnan.
