KOCHI: The Kerala State Audit Department has flagged serious financial irregularities in the accounts of Guruvayur Devaswom, including a loss of Rs89.55 lakh linked to the installation of CCTV cameras in the temple.
An affidavit filed in the High Court by the audit department reveals that the contractor, Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Ltd, failed to rectify defects in the executed work, forcing the devaswom to incur additional expenses for repairs and replacements.
The affidavit, submitted by Rajeev R, Senior Deputy Director of the Kerala State Audit Department, highlights multiple lapses in financial management, including a Rs27 lakh shortfall in bank deposits over three years from the sale of gold lockets and chains at Guruvayur Devaswom.
It was filed in response to a petition by Dr P S Mahendra Kumar of Neyyattinkara, who sought details of devaswom fund deposits in cooperative societies, citing recent bank scams in Thrissur district.
According to the audit report, proceeds from the sale of gold and silver lockets – received in cash and via card transactions—were deposited in two Punjab National Bank (PNB) accounts. However, a mismatch was found between the daily collections recorded in credit slips and the actual amounts remitted in the bank between 2019-20 and 2021-22, leading to a total shortfall of Rs 27 lakh.
Status of daily collections
The report pointed out that the temple superintendent, manager, and deputy administrator failed to verify whether daily collections were being fully deposited in the bank. Additionally, delays in furnishing bank statements prevented the audit team from identifying the discrepancies in real time. Despite directives issued in 2020 to submit weekly bank statements, the Guruvayur Devaswom authorities did not comply.
The affidavit also highlighted concerns over the devaswom’s approach to financial reporting, stating that its accounts are still prepared in a customary manner, with only receipt and payment records maintained. Crucially, annual statements do not include the valuation of key assets such as gold, silver, and land, and periodic physical verification of valuables has not been conducted.
On the issue of construction projects funded by sponsors, the audit department has requested the High Court to direct the Guruvayur Devaswom to establish norms, as such works currently fall outside the scope of audit review. This raises concerns about whether these projects adhere to Public Works Department (PWD) standards.
As of October 5, 2023, the affidavit noted that the devaswom had fixed deposits amounting to Rs1,975.90 crore in nationalised banks, scheduled banks, and cooperative urban banks.
Regarding the alleged irregularities in the CCTV installation, the audit report stated that the devaswom spent Rs5.08 crore on the project, but multiple defects were found in the executed work. Faulty cameras, non-functioning hard disks, and battery failures in the UPS system of the server room forced the devaswom to spend an additional Rs4.05 lakh on replacements. Despite repeated complaints, the contractor failed to rectify the issues.
The audit findings expose serious lapses in financial oversight, raising questions about the devaswom’s accountability in handling temple funds and assets.
