Travancore Devaswom Board set to cut costs, opts for outsourcing

Kochi: The Travancore Devaswom Board has decided to outsource a majority of posts in temples under it as part of its cost-cutting measures. This means all temples other than ‘major’ ones will have only two regular postings – a priest and an administrator rather than upto 10 staff at present. “The jobs outsourced will be those requiring unskilled labour such as ‘Kazhakam’ and cleaning among others. Currently the permanent staff in such posts needs to be paid in the range of Rs 30, 000 to Rs 35, 000 after the pay revision. In temples such as Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple, there are 42 such personnel. We’ll outsource these posts and take in local people on contract basis,” a senior officer said.

Only 83 out of the total 1250 temples managed by the TDB have more annual revenue than the expenses incurred and the rest are “loss-making”. Recently a high-level meet was held at the TDB headquarters decided to take measures to make remaining 1167 temples “self-reliant”. “We’ll be posting ex-service personnel for night duties for security related aspects on a temporarily basis. However, the decision would be implemented without affecting the existing permanent staff. No new staff will be taken in for such posts,” the official said.

Another factor that prompted the TDB authorities to take is decision was that at least five cases were detected in the last one year when staff was found to have given sub-contract all by themselves. “These persons will stay at houses and taken in meaty packages while they have to give a nominal amount to the helpers. Hence the board decided to appoint local people on contract basis,” he said. As part of making the temples self-reliant, the TDB also decided to standardize the offerings rate at all temples. It would directly run shops near temples selling pooja materials and others.