Kochi, February 11: The Kerala High Court has identified serious discrepancies in the income and expenditure accounts of the Sabarimala Global Ayyappa Meet. These irregularities indicate, at first glance, a significant lack of financial discipline. The court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to provide a detailed explanation.
The Sabarimala Global Ayyappa Meet was a one-day event held in Pamba last September. A division bench noted that construction contracts related to the event were awarded without following mandatory tendering processes. The court also found inconsistencies between the bills raised and the materials allegedly supplied.
Notably, there was no proper accounting for the offerings distributed to participants during the event. An audit report presented to the court revealed that out of 150 beds purchased for the event, there is no record for 50 of them. Additionally, ₹2 crore withdrawn from the Devaswom Board has yet to be repaid.
The court stated that such deficiencies indicate serious financial mismanagement and a lack of procedural compliance. Irregularities were also uncovered in the GST component of the accounts. While the board is eligible for an input tax credit of ₹1.07 crore, only ₹45.76 lakh was reported in returns filed with the authorities.
The court highlighted that there is no clarity on whether the remaining ₹61 lakh has been properly deposited into the board’s funds or adjusted in later filings. Furthermore, a bill showing ₹2.80 lakh for cabling work lacks any certification confirming that the work was actually performed at the event site.
The Special Commissioner presented the accounts before the High Court on Wednesday, and the audit report outlined several discrepancies in the financial statements related to the event. The court has now requested a comprehensive response from the Devaswom Board regarding the irregularities revealed in the audit. Meanwhile, Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan stated that the state government provided only basic infrastructural support for the event. He mentioned that ₹4 crore was raised through sponsorship, and the board needs to clarify the remaining accounts and financial entries.
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