TDB will speak with HC to request more project expenditure authority

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) intends to petition the High Court to get further authority over the allocation of monies for development projects.

Currently, before undertaking any project that costs more than Rs 20 lakh, the board needs approval from the High Court, the State Audit Department, and the Devaswom Ombudsman.

Development work is being hampered by the three institutions’ clearance-process delays, according to a well-placed source at the TDB.

The cap of Rs 20 lakh is applied to all works, with the exception of those involving shrine sanctum sanctorums. Since the GST component is Rs 3 lakh, the board effectively has the right to approve projects that only cost Rs 17 lakh,” he said.

Early in 2000, the expenditure restriction was put into place. It was originally for Rs 5 lakh, but in 2016 it was increased to Rs 20 lakh. Now, the board will ask the High Court to increase the threshold to Rs 50 lakh.

The board said that several development projects were postponed due to the onerous approval procedure. For the last three years, the audit department has been awaiting the completion of a four million rupee project to rehabilitate the pond at Ganapathi Temple in Kottarakara. “The board members recently visited the temple and encountered the anger of the locals. Many believe the board’s indifference is to blame for the delay. “I wonder why other government institutions are not affected by the court’s extraordinary restrictions on devaswom boards,” the insider said.

The board claims that the audit department takes too long time to review projects. “The engineering branch of the TDB prepares the estimate for a development job. The task is e-tendered once the board grants administrative sanction. The ombudsman would get the lowest offer. It is sent to the audit division and the court upon his clearance,” the source said.

Typically, the proposal is sent with a series of questions from the audit department. When they get the responses, they often send out new questions. The majority of the projects need up to seven months to get approval, he said. He said, “The bidder dropped the work in many cases citing cost escalation during the period.”

Another “casualty” of this laborious process is the remodeling of the Sabari Guest House in Sabarimala. A sponsor from Hyderabad had put in a proposal for Rs 3.4 crore three years before. However, the sponsor’s request to get a few rooms at no cost each year during the pilgrimage season was the reason the court opposed to it. The board filed its own development plan, costing Rs 1.7 crore, as instructed by the court. The High Court objected to the plan that was reviewed by the audit department and the Ombudsman. After that, the judges went to the guest home to get firsthand knowledge. This week, we are expecting a directive from the court,” the insider said.