Kerala govt's Ayyappa Conclave: VIP accommodation costs lakhs; TBD spent ₹8.31 lakh on one resort

Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board reportedly allocated funds to provide accommodation at luxury resorts for VIP attendees of the Global Ayyappa Conclave.

The board spent ₹8.31 lakh on a single resort in Kumarakom. Two other private resorts received ₹3,39,840 and ₹80,000 respectively, while the KTDC resort was allotted ₹25,000.

These payments were made exclusive of the ₹3 crore sanctioned from Devaswom funds. Earlier, the government had assured the court that no board money would be used for such purposes. The assurance came in response to the controversy over fund usage. The board then maintained that the money was provided in advance and would be reimbursed once sponsors contribute.