Kerala seeks to replace co-ordinator in Padmanabhaswamy Temple

In an application filed before the apex court, the state government has submitted that services of Anand Bose, an IAS officer, need not be continued as he has superannuated and proposed the name of M V Nair, who is a member secretary of the committee.

"A view was taken by the state government that the services of Anand Bose need not be continued as he has superannuated and M V Nair was felt to be competent to ensure continuation and coordination," the application said.

The government said that there is need to appoint a new co-ordinator in view of retirement of Bose whose service has not been extended by the Centre. The government has already issued order for appointment of Nair as the co-ordinator but it was not put into effect as it cannot be done without approval of the apex court which is monitoring the operation of unearthing and preservation of the temple's wealth.

The Supreme Court had in September said that the state could consider appointing Bose as the convenor of the committee if the Centre granted him an extension in service.

It had on September 22 said that the vault 'B' of the Temple will be opened only after substantial work regarding documentation and preservation of assets unearthed from other 'kalaras' (vaults) of the shrine is completed.

The court had on July 21 appointed a five-member expert committee to supervise the unearthing and preservation of assets of the Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The committee is headed by Director General of National Museum C V Ananda Bose and comprises representatives of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The court had also appointed a three-member committee to oversee the work of unearthing of the temple's assets. The overseeing committee comprises retired judge of Kerala High Court, Justice M N Krishnan, the erstwhile Prince of Travancore Marthanda Varma and a government representative of the rank of secretary.

The apex court had passed the orders on an application filed by Marthanda Varma and his family members challenging a Kerala High Court ruling of January 31 this year, ordering a takeover of the assets and management of the shrine by the state.