TDB President Acknowledges Board's Role in Audit Issues, Announces Swift Corrective Measures
T'puram: In a significant admission, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar has openly stated that the concerning issues highlighted in the audit report regarding the financial accounts of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam event stemmed directly from lapses on the part of the Board itself. Jayakumar emphasized that these errors primarily occurred because officials failed to respond to the auditor's inquiries in a timely manner, leading to a critical communication breakdown with the auditing authorities.
MoU and Payment Dispute with IIIC Under Scrutiny
Jayakumar detailed a particularly peculiar situation involving a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs 8 crore that was signed with the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC), which operated under the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society and managed the event. Although IIIC submitted a bill for Rs 7.04 crore, the TDB informed them that only Rs 4.99 crore would be paid. When questioned about whether IIIC accepted this reduced payment, Jayakumar responded that they essentially had no other option. He further expressed doubt that IIIC would approach the court over this matter.
Audit Report Not Considered Final, Corrections Planned
Jayakumar clarified that he does not consider the current audit report to be final and believes numerous corrections are necessary. The board meeting held on Tuesday involved a detailed discussion of the audit report. Although the report was received earlier, it was submitted to the court as the deadline set by the judicial body had passed. An affidavit has not been submitted yet but will be prepared when the court revisits the matter on February 27.
The standard procedure typically involves auditors notifying the board of any issues, with the board then providing responses. Some responses are accepted while others may be rejected. However, Jayakumar admitted that this established process did not occur this time, and it was not the auditor's fault but rather a mistake attributable to the TDB. The lack of timely responses to the auditor's questions and inadequate communication ultimately resulted in several adverse remarks appearing in the audit report.
Immediate Action: Special Team Formed for Rectification
Jayakumar stated that certain procedural steps were either not taken or not properly communicated to the auditor, and these will be rectified. Providing accurate and comprehensive responses to the auditor's questions is expected to change many aspects of the current report. Consequently, the board meeting decided to implement immediate corrections to the identified errors.
A special team led by the devaswom commissioner has been formed with the mandate to complete all necessary actions within 10 days. This team will engage in discussions with both the auditor and the contracting company to rectify the errors and ensure accuracy in all bills related to the work. The actual situation, including claims such as 4,000 people being fed during the event, will be thoroughly examined and verified.
Specific Errors and Financial Decisions
The audit report mentions that Rs 8 lakh was paid to the music troupe Nandagovindam Bhajans, who did not perform at the event. Jayakumar clarified that this was an error based on the information the auditor received, and such mistakes arising from the board's oversight will be corrected. He noted that the previous board had decided to limit the Ayyappa Sangamam expenses to Rs 4.99 crore, and this decision will be implemented. The Rs 3 crore advanced by the board has already been returned to the account.
Regarding sponsorships, expectations from various sources did not fully materialize. A total of Rs 3.85 crore was received in sponsorships, which is Rs 1 crore short of the target. A promised Rs 1 crore from the Adani Group is still anticipated. However, Jayakumar assured that the board will not utilize its own funds to cover this shortfall. A new and corrected audit report will be submitted to the court in due course.
Contract Award and Investigation Plans
The contracting company, IIIC, was informed that only Rs 4.99 crore would be paid, but they did not agree to this reduction, as they had submitted a bill for Rs 7.04 crore. Jayakumar indicated that it will be investigated whether the contract was awarded to IIIC without a proper tender process and whether they subcontracted through a tender. The previous board had signed an agreement to spend Rs 8 crore. The contract was awarded to IIIC due to their recognized experience in organizing such large-scale events, Jayakumar explained, providing context for the decision-making process.
