CHOTTANIKKARA KSHETHRA UPADESAKA SAMITHY, CHOTTANIKKARA Vs. THE ASSISTANT DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, COCHIN DEVASWOM BOARD, CHOTTANIKKARA AND OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This DBP has been registered on the basis of Report No.41 of 2017, preferred before this Court by the learned Ombudsman for Travancore and Cochin Devaswoms. The learned Ombudsman has in his report said that the proceedings were initiated by him on the basis of a complaint preferred by the Secretary on behalf of the Temple Advisory Committee of the Chottanikkara Devi Temple.

(2.) The allegations made by the Temple Advisory Committee, as are recorded by the learned Ombudsman in his report, would indicate that the Committee was concerned about certain immoral and anti-social activities that were being orchestrated by certain vested interests near the "Poorapparambu" belonging to the Devaswom as also in some of the lodges and resting houses near the temple. It appears to be alleged in the complaint that even though the lodges have got separate road frontage, they still open their gates towards the Devaswom property, primarily because the Devaswom properties are not properly protected by compound walls or fences. The Temple Advisory Committee, in their complaint, therefore, requested that the Devaswom Board be directed to close all such openings to the Pooraparambu and to construct a compound wall to protect the devotees of the temple.

(3.) We notice that the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner appeared before the learned Ombudsman and informed him that steps would be taken by the Maramath Wing of the temple to provide better parking facilities and to ensure that the vehicles are parked in an orderly manner. It was also brought to the notice of the learned Ombudsman that the Board had decided, in its meeting dated 23.05.2017, to renovate the Pooraparambu and to take steps for protecting the property by fixing boundaries. It was conceded that on the western side, certain individual houses, business establishments and lodges have their entrance facing the Pooraparambu and that since there is a real chance of trespass into the property, a decision has been taken to construct a bunk and to give it on licence basis, for which purpose, orders have already been issued by the Board. The Assistant Commissioner also made a further submission before the learned Ombudsman with specific reference to a particular private lodge, situated on the side of DTPC comfort station, that even though it has an independent entrance to a Panchayat road, it has opened its entrance towards the Pooraparambu, thus demonstrating that these entrances were created not for any necessity but for other questionable reasons.