P.B.Suresh Kumar, J.
A complaint was received by the Ombudsman for Travancore Devaswom Board, stating that in O.P.No.2871 of 1999, this court held that no member outside the community of Pulluvan shall be permitted to participate in the auction to conduct “Pulluvan Pattu” in temples and in violation of the said direction, the right to conduct the said ritual at the Thiruvallam Devaswom was awarded to a person who does not belong to Pulluvan community. The complainant is an organisation called “Pulluvan Kshema Sabha”.
2. A reply was filed by the Administrative Officer of the Temple before the learned Ombudsman stating that the right to conduct the said ritual in the temple was awarded to the person who made the highest offer and that though the right was awarded based on the offer, the ritual is being performed by members of the Pulluvan community.
3. The learned Ombudsman found that pursuant to the order issued by this court, the Devaswom Commissioner also issued directions to all concerned directing that no member outside the community of Pulluvan shall be allowed to participate in the auction to conduct the ritual and it was flouting the directions issued by this Court and the Devaswom Commissioner, the right to conduct the ritual was awarded. With the aforesaid finding, the matter is placed before us for orders.
4. Though we have suo motu impleaded the successful bidder in the auction as additional second respondent in this DBP and issued notice to him, he did not appear. The ritual being one to be performed exclusively by members of Pulluvan community, if the right to conduct the ritual is auctioned in favour of persons belonging to other communities, the performance of the ritual will certainly be outsourced and in that event, the Board may not be able to ensure that the ritual is performed by the members of the community. We are, therefore, in complete agreement with the view taken by this court in O.P. No.2871 of 1999.
5. In so far as the right to conduct the ritual for the current year has already been auctioned, we do not want to interfere with the award. At the same time, we direct that hereafter, no member outside the Pulluvan Community shall be permitted by the Board to participate in the auction to conduct “Pulluvan Pattu” in the temples. A copy of this order shall also be communicated to all Devaswom Officers who are in charge of the conduct of auction of the various rights in the temples.
P.N.RAVINDRAN, (JUDGE) vps P.B.SURESH KUMAR, (JUDGE)