Establish digitised inventory for Sabarimala assets, says HC
The Kerala High Court has asked the Travancore Devaswom Board to digitise inventory records for Sabarimala assets and tighten procurement compliance, while a separate temple-donation update records a one-day surge at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams before a donor-privilege policy change.
- The Kerala High Court directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to create a comprehensive, systematic and preferably digitised inventory for Sabarimala assets and related establishments.
- The Kerala High Court asked Sabarimala Development Project officials to follow statutory requirements, financial rules and procurement safeguards before finalising purchases.
- The Audit Department raised objections to the proposed procurement of 1,000 double-decker mild steel cots for daily-wage staff at Sannidhanam.
The Kerala High Court has asked the Travancore Devaswom Board to create a comprehensive, systematic and preferably digitised inventory for all consumable and non-consumable assets at Sabarimala and related establishments. The direction matters for UPSC because it links temple administration to governance, audit compliance and public procurement discipline.
The court also told officials of the Sabarimala Development Project to strictly follow statutory requirements, financial rules and procurement safeguards before finalising purchases. The immediate dispute concerned approval for a contract to supply 1,000 double-decker mild steel cots for daily-wage staff deployed at the Sannidhanam.
UPSC may frame this as a governance question on why digitised inventories, audit trails and procurement safeguards matter in institutions that manage public trust, offerings and assets. The Sabarimala directions also connect to broader themes of transparency, accountability and financial propriety in religious endowments and temple boards.
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