The trial-run of the Digital Archiving of Temple Antiques and Artifacts (DATA) process planned for the contents of the underground vaults of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, here, was a success and the actual documentation of the vaults' contents will begin on February 20.
This was stated in a report filed by the Government of Kerala in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The government has already ‘substantially implemented' the recommendations of the expert committee on security measures for the Temple. Sanction has already been issued for the creation of 233 additional posts of policemen, including one post of Assistant Commandant and one post of system analyst, for enhancing the security of the Temple, the report read.
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Funds sanctioned
The government has already sanctioned Rs.2.5 crore to Keltron — a State government undertaking — for ‘providing necessary goods and services in association with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre' for the DATA scheme. Of this, Rs. 1.5 crore is being disbursed.
The request from M.V. Nair, coordinator of the expert committee on DATA, for a sum of Rs.75 lakh towards meeting office expenses of the committee is being “expeditiously processed.” This request was received on January 19, 2012.
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“The State government will ensure that lack of funds will not impede the work of the Expert Committee,” the report notes. The temple management has provided a building for housing the office of the expert committee; one meeting of the committee has already been held there, the report notes.
Certain recommendations relating to shifting of some shops, eateries, offices and other structures around the temple have to be implemented by the temple authorities and they have been instructed to comply with such recommendations, the report adds.
In its report, the M.V. Nair committee too has stated that it is good to go in for DATA on February 20. The latest technology available is being used for the documentation process. Any improvements to this computer-driven process would be done as and when necessary.
The report has also provided a step-by-step narrative of the process that would be followed for documenting the contents of the Temple's vaults.
Temple's report
The temple authorities have, in their, report, submitted to the apex court that they have already deposited Rs.15 lakh with the expert committee. The remaining Rs.10 lakh would be handed over as and when required by the committee, temple executive officer V. K. Harikumar told The Hindu here.
“We have already given an office and we have indicated the spot inside the temple for setting up an archival vault. On the question of vacating the shops and other establishments around the temple, we have already given two or three notices,” he added.