Ex-CAG to audit Padmanabha Swamy temple trove

New Delhi: The centuries-old Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala, whose administration has been facing charges of large-scale fiancial bungling after gold, silver and precious stones worth crores of rupees discovered in secret vaults three years ago, will undergo scrutiny by former national auditor Vinod Rai, the Supreme Court said on Thursday.

Ordering that the former Comptroller and Auditor General supervise a special audit of the temple’s wealth, the top court also constituted a committee of five persons to temporarily manage the temple. A bench of justices R.M. Lodha and A K Patnaik said its decision was based on “larger public interest and the interest of the temple” as the temple trustees had miserably failed in doing their job. “The present trustees have failed badly... They have to be changed. If we return the affairs of the temple to the same  persons, then god save this temple,” the bench said in its interim order.

The new administrative committee will be headed by district Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, the top court said, adding that in case the district judge does not belong to the Hindu community, the next senior most Hindu judge in the district will be the administrative committee’s chairman.

It appointed bureaucrat Satish Kumar, who has experience in management of Guruvayur temple in Thrissur, as executive officer of the temple to oversee day-to-day functions. The bench said that other members of the administrative committee would be the Tantri of the temple, presently Satish Namboodri, and district judge who would co-opt two other members, one of whom will be nominated by the state government.

It said once the administrative committee takes  charge of the temple affairs, the trustees will be free from any liability on the decision taken by the panel. However, the trustees will be liable for the decision in which th-ey would be concurring with the committee.

What the Supreme Court order says

• Former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai to supervise special audit of property of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple.
• Thiruvananthapuram district judge to head a new administrative committee for the temple