Vigilance raids: 15 Durga temple staff face action

Probe ordered into misappropriation in annadanam and prasadams, says EO

All is not well: Workers serving in the Annadana Satram at the Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada.

A few days after the Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) officials conducted raids on Sri Durga Malleswaraswamy Varla Devasthanam, officials recommended the government to take action against 15 staff involved in misappropriation of funds.

“We observed diversion and misuse of funds and provisions, about ₹2 crore, in the temple per year. A report has been submitted to the government on misuse of funds in Annadanam, Potu [kitchen] and the main stores,” said Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer (RVEO) M. Ravindranath Babu.

Speaking to

The Hindu on Monday, Devasthanam Executive Officer (EO) A. Surya Kumari said the management had ordered an internal inquiry into the alleged irregularities in preparing prasadams and action would be taken against the errant staff soon.

“Vigil has been stepped up at the main stores, potu, prasadam counters and at other points to prevent misappropriation of material and maintain quality in prasadams and the Annaprasadam.

Donations scandal?

The V&E team also observed that the donations being offered by devotees were being collected by an outsourced employee and on many occasions, receipts were not being issued to the donors. If the donation is more than ₹5,000, it is being used for ‘Annadanam’ and, if it is less, the temple management is including it in its expenditure against the rules. “As per the temple bylaws, a trust with dedicated devotees should manage ‘Annadanam’, but the devasthanam management is organising it. The officials were issuing rice, pulses, sugar, cashew, ghee, jaggery, oil and other material for 5,000 devotees on Sundays and other auspicious days in a week, and for 3,600 devotees in the remaining days for ‘Annadanam’. But not even 50% of the devotees are taking ‘Annaprasadam’, and the material is being sidetracked,” the RVEO said.

The temple management had been procuring provisions from Sai Manikanta Traders, Kiran Traders and Good Life for the last 10 years. We recommended to the authorities to buy rice, pulses, oil frommillers’ associations which would work out to be much cheaper, Mr. Ravindranath Babu said.

Notices served

“We have not received any vigilance report. But notices have been served on the employees who are facing corruption allegations and we are waiting for their reply. We changed the employee for collecting donations and receipts were being issued to all donors. A vigil is being maintained through surveillance cameras,” the EO clarified.