Kochi: The Kerala High Court reprimanded the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Friday over the reported embezzlement of around ₹40 lakh from a petrol pump it operates at Nilakkal, a base camp for Sabarimala pilgrims, Live Law reported on Monday.

The Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and K.V. Jayakumar expressed shock over the absence of proper accounting and real-time monitoring at the busy fuel station. The court noted that despite clear and binding directions issued as early as 2015 mandating complete computerisation to prevent corruption and mismanagement, the Board has continued to rely on outdated manual accounting systems.

The court highlighted that the lack of digitalisation has led to major delays in the statutory audits of numerous temples and institutions under TDB, attributing the delay to failures in account reconciliation and poor financial integrity.

An audit by the Kerala State Audit Department revealed serious discrepancies at the petrol pump, including outdated stock registers, delays in daily revenue remittance, irregular fuel management, and mismatches between sales records and financial reports. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against employees involved in the embezzlement.

The Bench ordered the digitalisation of all accounts related to the Board’s administration of 1,250 temples and demanded a comprehensive report on the progress.

The court emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive, tamper-proof software system capable of real-time monitoring of revenues and expenditures, integration of HR records, transparent tendering processes, and prevention of dealings with blacklisted parties.

Failure to implement computerisation promptly, the court warned, would result in continued misappropriation of funds and undermine public trust in the Board’s functioning.

The TDB is expected to submit its progress report on August 22.