Kerala High Court Summons Audit Officials Over Guruvayur Devaswom Financial Lapses
State auditors and the Principal Accountant General must explain unresolved financial discrepancies at the Guruvayur Devaswom Board. Recent reports highlight decades of unverified assets and systemic failures in digital accounting for the temple administration.
Systemic Deficiencies and Judicial Intervention
The Kerala High Court has intensified oversight of the Guruvayur Devaswom Board by summoning the Senior Deputy Director of the Kerala State Audit Department (KSDA) for a personal appearance. Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar are demanding a status report on the board's auditing processes following recurring failures to address financial irregularities. Additionally, the Principal Accountant General (Accounts & Entitlements) must clarify if the 2023 audit deficiencies identified by the KSDA have been rectified.
Decades of Unverified Assets and Missing Oversight
A 2023 affidavit revealed that audit objections spanning from 2002 to 2020 remain unresolved, involving sums reaching several crores of rupees. Despite the Guruvayur Devaswom Rules being established in 1980, the board has reportedly failed to conduct a physical verification of movable assets for 43 years. This lack of oversight extends to high-value offerings, including:
- Gold and silver jewelry deposited as offerings.
- Expensive materials such as Kashmiri saffron and large bronze vessels.
- Valuables worth lakhs of rupees that were never entered into official registers.
Digital Failures and Modernization Mandates
Attempts to modernize vazhipadu collection through technology have lacked transparency. The KSDA informed the court that the board implemented cashless transaction software without sharing operating procedures, cyber security protocols, or login details with the Statutory Audit Wing. No training or demonstrations were provided to auditors, and the board failed to establish accounting rules for these digital transactions.
To correct these structural issues, the court ordered the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee to hire an institutional consultant. This expert will be tasked with conducting a comprehensive study of current administrative and financial workflows. The ultimate goal is the implementation of an integrated digital platform that ensures accountability across all functions of the board.
Source: The Hindu — News
