Kerala HC calls for action against TDB staff not reporting for special duty during pilgrimage season

The reluctance of Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) employees in reporting for special duty during Mandala-Makaravilakku season ''cannot be viewed lightly'', the Kerala High Court said on Tuesday and directed that appropriate action be taken against those who failed to show up for work without genuine medical reasons.

The direction was issued to the Devaswom Commissioner by a bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and P G Ajithkumar on a plea initiated by the court on its own based on a report by the Special Commissioner of Sabarimala regarding the shortage of employees at Sabarimala Sannidhanam, Pamba and Nilakkal during the pilgrimage season.

The Special Commissioner in his report has said that turnout of employees posted for special duty in Sabarimala during the festival season was far less than that ordered by the high court for class-4 and daily wage employees.

''As per the statement given by the Executive Officer, Sabarimala, dated January 2, 2022, 30 employees from the Establishment Wing, 76 employees in class-4 category and 61daily wage employees alone have so far reported for duty.

As per the report of the Special Commissioner, in order to completely count the accumulated currency notes and coins in the Bhandaram of Sabarimala Temple, at least 100 class-4 employees from 19 groups of TDB are required to be posted at Sabarimala,'' the bench noted.

The TDB, on the other hand, told the court that 67 staff from Establishment Wing, 420 class-4 employees and 390 daily wage employees have already reported for special duty at Sabarimala during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. In addition to this, 50 students of Kshethra Kalapeedam have also reported for duty, it told the bench during the hearing.

The state government, meanwhile, told the court that the total number of employees deputed for counting currency notes in the Bhandaram was only 145 as against the requirement of above 200.

After hearing all sides, the court said, ''When the surplus income from Sabarimala Devaswom is being utilised for managing 1,190 temples under TDB which are not self-sufficient, for payment of salary to Devaswom employees and also for payment of pension to its pensioners, the reluctance shown by the employees of the TDB in reporting for special duty during Mandala-Makaravilakku season at Sabarimala, Pamba and Nilakkal cannot be viewed lightly.'' The bench directed the Devaswom Commissioner to obtain, by Wednesday, reports from the concerned Assistant Devaswom Commissioners regarding the names of the staff in the Establishment Wing and class-4 employees, who failed to report for the special duty for reasons other than genuine medical grounds and to furnish the same to the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala.

After receiving the reports from the Assistant Devaswom Commissioners, the Devaswom Commissioner ''shall initiate appropriate proceedings against the staff in the Establishment Wing and class-4 employees, who failed to report for special duty at Sabarimala, Pamba and Nilakkal, other than on genuine medical grounds, and the action taken shall be reported to this court,'' the bench directed. It also directed the Devaswom Commissioner to provide, to the Special Commissioner, a list of the male employees who have not done Sabarimala special duty for the last two years.

With these directions, the court disposed of the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)