The Kerala High Court has sought an explanation from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on how the expenses for the Global Ayyappa Conclave exceeded the sponsorship amounts.
A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar directed the auditing firm to file a statement detailing the anomalies, deficiencies and lapses noticed by it in the course of the audits of TDB's accounts conducted over the years.
The court found that the financial discipline of the TDB 'leaves much to be desired' and that substantial amounts have been committed and disbursed without vouchers and receipts.
The bench also said that the magnitude of the amounts involved, the multiple sources from which funds were mobilised, and the manner in which advances appear to have been released without a transparent accounting framework, 'prima facie indicate a disturbing lack of financial prudence and internal financial control'.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 1 and directed the auditing concern to file a statement detailing the procedural or financial safeguards that may be necessary to improve financial management and accountability in the functioning of the Board.
