The Kerala High Court has taken suo motu notice of serious complaints regarding hygiene, sanitation, maintenance and administrative lapses in the Chottanikkara Temple complex. The bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and K. V. Jayakumar has impleaded multiple officials—including the Executive Director of Suchitwa Mission, the Executive Engineer of the Maramath Wing of the Cochin Devaswom Board, and the Assistant Engineer of Chottanikkara Devaswom—as respondents in a petition arising from allegations concerning corruption, maladministration, and the overall deterioration of the temple infrastructure.
The complaints include the absence of basic amenities, misconduct by temple staff, deterioration in the quality of offerings to the deity, and financial irregularities. Photographs submitted along with the complaint depict extreme neglect: filth and decay in the temple kitchen, surrounding areas in disrepair, and significant structural damage in parts of the temple complex. The Court observed that the materials before it reveal a “complete lack of hygiene and sanitation” in the premises.
Previously, the District Co-ordinator under the Navakeralam Karma Padhathi program had carried out an inspection in March. That report detailed multiple defects and had suggested specific remedial measures. Among those recommendations were: the introduction of a proper bin system for waste segregation, installation of a water treatment plant, setting up of an incinerator, and addressing structural issues. According to the Court, many of these suggestions have not been acted upon.
To address the situation, the Court ordered that the Executive Engineer (Maramath Wing, Cochin Devaswom Board) and the Assistant Engineer of Chottanikkara Devaswom personally appear before the Court. They were asked to explain the steps they have taken to remedy the hygiene, sanitation, and maintenance deficiencies in the temple complex.
In addition, the Court had earlier added Chottanikkara Grama Panchayat and the District Town Planner as respondents, thereby expanding the accountability to local governance and planning authorities.
The matter is set to be revisited on September 24, at which point the Court will assess the compliance of respondents with respect to the remedial steps required.
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