Even as the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms threatened to boycott the Thrissur Pooram celebrations, in protest against the Cochin Devaswom Board’s (CDB) decision to hike the rent of the Pooram exhibition ground, CDB president M.K. Sudharshan in a press meet said the board would not be able to take a decision in the matter as the High Court had taken suo motu case in the issue.
The CDB had recently decided to hike the rent for the Pooram exhibition ground, an annual event held in connection with Pooram. The devaswoms alleged that the CDB increased the rent exorbitantly to ₹2.20 crore from ₹39 lakh for the four-month-long exhibition. A joint meeting of the devaswoms held here recently decided to reduce the celebrations to rituals and not to conduct exhibition if the CDB does not slash the rent.
‘Malicious campaign’
In a press conference here on Wednesday, the CDB president said there had been a malicious campaign that it was trying to create hurdles for the conduct of Pooram.
“It is the CDB that conducts the Thrissur Pooram. It will not do anything that will affect the Pooram. It was the High Court which asked the board to finalise the rent of the ground. While the CDB charges ₹8 per sq ft for the Vadakkunnathan Temple ground for general functions, it decided on only ₹2 for the Pooram exhibition as it was meant for collecting money for the conduct of the Pooram,” he said.
Only after court verdict
But he alleged that the revenue and expense records of the Thrissur Pooram furnished by the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms to the Kerala State audit wing were incomplete. As the matter was in the court, the CDB could take further steps only after the final verdict from the court, he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders Jose Vallur and T.N. Prathapan said they would observe a hunger strike on December 21, seeking a solution for the issue.
