<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the row over the Sabarimala gold heist, the Left Front government is again on the back foot as irregularities have been found in the audit of expenses of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held last year.</p><p>Even after the government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) earlier assured the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kerala-high-court">Kerala High Court</a> that the entire amount for the event, which was widely considered a propaganda event, would be met through sponsorships, the audit found that around Rs 3.4 crore spent by the TDB and the government for the event has not yet been recovered.</p><p>The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/travancore-devaswom-board">TDB</a> to provide a clarification on the matter within ten days.</p><p>TDB president K Jayakumar told reporters that so far only around Rs 4 crore has been received as sponsorship while the actual expense has been higher than that. A meeting of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), which conducted the event, will be held on February 17 to discuss the pending payments and sponsorships, he said.</p>.Congress accuses CPI(M) govt, devaswom board of Sabarimala 'gold theft' ahead of Global Ayyappa Conclave .<p>The Global Ayyappa Sangamam was held on the banks of the Pamba river at Sabarimala on September 20 last year. The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a> government initiated the event to discuss Sabarimala development projects. But it was widely considered as a propaganda event ahead of the elections.</p><p>Countering petitions filed against the event before the HC, the government and the TDB had then submitted that the entire expense would be met through sponsorship. The HC had also directed to furnish accounts within 45 days.</p><p>However, the audit report submitted by the special commissioner to the HC points out that around Rs 3.4 crore spent for the Ayyappa Sangamam was yet to be received from sponsors. The audit report also pointed out that the execution of the work was given to Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction, which is also associated with ULCCS, without inviting tenders. It was also pointed out that around 4,100 packets each of 'Aravana' and other prasadas supplied by the TDB to the participants of the Ayyappa Sangamam were not accounted for. </p><p>An HC division bench of Justice Raja Vijaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar is considering the case. </p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the row over the Sabarimala gold heist, the Left Front government is again on the back foot as irregularities have been found in the audit of expenses of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held last year.</p><p>Even after the government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) earlier assured the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/kerala-high-court">Kerala High Court</a> that the entire amount for the event, which was widely considered a propaganda event, would be met through sponsorships, the audit found that around Rs 3.4 crore spent by the TDB and the government for the event has not yet been recovered.</p><p>The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/travancore-devaswom-board">TDB</a> to provide a clarification on the matter within ten days.</p><p>TDB president K Jayakumar told reporters that so far only around Rs 4 crore has been received as sponsorship while the actual expense has been higher than that. A meeting of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), which conducted the event, will be held on February 17 to discuss the pending payments and sponsorships, he said.</p>.Congress accuses CPI(M) govt, devaswom board of Sabarimala 'gold theft' ahead of Global Ayyappa Conclave .<p>The Global Ayyappa Sangamam was held on the banks of the Pamba river at Sabarimala on September 20 last year. The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a> government initiated the event to discuss Sabarimala development projects. But it was widely considered as a propaganda event ahead of the elections.</p><p>Countering petitions filed against the event before the HC, the government and the TDB had then submitted that the entire expense would be met through sponsorship. The HC had also directed to furnish accounts within 45 days.</p><p>However, the audit report submitted by the special commissioner to the HC points out that around Rs 3.4 crore spent for the Ayyappa Sangamam was yet to be received from sponsors. The audit report also pointed out that the execution of the work was given to Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction, which is also associated with ULCCS, without inviting tenders. It was also pointed out that around 4,100 packets each of 'Aravana' and other prasadas supplied by the TDB to the participants of the Ayyappa Sangamam were not accounted for. </p><p>An HC division bench of Justice Raja Vijaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar is considering the case. </p>