Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan ruled out any immediate move to replace Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), saying govt’s focus was on ensuring smooth preparations for the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season.“Is this the time to change the board? The existing board is in place. The responsibility for Sabarimala rests with the devaswom board,” Satheesan said.He said at a meeting he chaired, govt had fixed targets and was closely monitoring the preparations. Though there are delays in some areas, govt won’t enter into a confrontation with the board during the pilgrimage season, he said.Satheesan said deficiencies in preparations were brought to the board’s attention and govt would extend the necessary support.He alleged that intermediaries and vested interests were trying to influence some of the board’s preparations. The board had decided not to allow such interference and had initiated steps accordingly, he said.Meanwhile, TDB president K Jayakumar said there were no disputes between the board and govt. He said he had met Satheesan, who assured him of govt’s support. “There is no ego clash. There may be people who are disappointed. I don’t believe there is any planned move (against the board),” he said.Jayakumar said he had briefed chief minister on the preparations and assured him that the pilgrimage would be conducted in an orderly manner. Any communication gap between govt and the board could be resolved, he said.He defended the board’s preparations and rejected criticisms that little had been done. Jayakumar said he had assumed office when the board’s reputation was at its lowest and wanted to remove the stigma associated with it.He defended the decision to introduce e-tendering, saying it was aimed at ensuring transparency.On the recent Aravana prasadam shortage, Jayakumar said the shortfall was unexpected and devaswom minister K Muraleedharan was informed before he travelled to Delhi. He acknowledged that the number of pilgrims had exceeded expectations but said steps would be taken to address the issue.Jayakumar said the board would regularly brief the minister and chief minister on the preparations.Meanwhile, Muraleedharan said despite differences with TDB president, govt didn’t want a confrontation and was working to resolve the issues.The minister said govt was dissatisfied with some of the board’s steps and had made its concerns public. “The Sabarimala pilgrimage should be conducted smoothly. Otherwise, the responsibility will fall on govt,” Muraleedharan said.
