New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up
the Kerala government for failing to comply with its
directions to ensure foolproof security cover to protect
assets worth crores of rupees belonging to the famed Sri
Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
"We do not want your comprehensive reports or affidavits.
We want compliance of our orders. We had given you three
months time, but you have not done anything. It is very unfair
on your part," a bench of justices RM Lodha and AK Patanaik
observed.
The apex court noted that despite its September 22, 2011
direction, neither the state nor the temple management took
steps for ensuring adequate security or provide accommodation
to the committee constituted by it for valuing the assets,
which according to media reports is estimated to be Rs 1.5
lakh crore.
When the state's standing counsel tried to make her
submission, the bench curtly told her, "State of Kerala has
not done anything. No excuses! There has to be compliance."
The bench however, acceded to Kerala's request for
appointment of M V Nair as coordinator of the expert committee
constituted by the apex court to evaluate the wealth
discovered in the vaults of the temple in place of Anand Bose
(IAS) who has superannuated.
On September 22, the court had 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 and also a three-
member committee to oversee the work of unearthing of the
temple's assets.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 21:55