The tiff between the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and licencees of various shops and eateries at Sabarimala over the auction money is likely to affect the pilgrimage during the ensuing monthly puja period that begins on February 13.
The unprecedented fall in the pilgrim turn out during the just concluded Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season has badly affected the revenue of all commercial establishments at Sabarimala and Pampa.
The Sabarimala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (SVVES), an association of shop and hotel owners at Sabarimala, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking a direction to the TDB to reduce their auction money in view of the huge loss incurred to them due to drastic decline in the pilgrim turn out.
But, the court maintained that the TDB should take a decision in this regard.
65% fall in sales
SVVES treasurer J. Jayakumar told The Hindu that all hotels and shops had only 35% sale compared to that of the previous pilgrim season.
Mr. Jayakumar said majority of the auction of hotels and shops at Sabarimala was held before the floods in August last. All these commercial establishments were auctioned at a higher amount compared to the previous year, he said.
Even those who obtained the licence at a lower price after the deluge too registered sharp decline in revenue collection, he said.
Mr. Jayakumar, who obtained the licence to run a hotel at an auction amount of ₹1.85 crore (against its previous year’s auction amount of ₹1.26 crore), said the sales at his hotel had registered a 70% fall compared to that of the previous season.
He said the right to collect broken coconuts was auctioned at ₹6.86 crore. A hotel near KSEB guest house was auctioned at ₹1.71 crore and another one near the police barracks at ₹1.03 crore. The licence to sell puja materials was auctioned at ₹1.26 crore. A hotel at Marakkottom on the trekking path was auctioned at ₹38 lakh.
Mr. Jayakumar said all the licencees remitted 50% of the auction money to the TDB and they were supposed to remit the remaining 50% immediately after the culmination of the festival season.
But majority of the licencees failed to remit the amount till date owing to financial crisis, he said.
The licencees had to obtain a letter from the Devaswom Executive Officer to get power connection for their shops for the monthly puja period. The officer is unlikely to give the letter unless they remitted the remaining amout.
Mr. Jayakumar said repeated pleas of the SVVES to the TDB to consider their case on compassionate grounds and reduce the auction money too fell on deaf ears.
