Appoint new executive officer for Padmanabhaswamy temple: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday directed that a new executive officer should be appointed for the historic Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple by June 18 in consultation with the temple trust and asked the Kerala government to suggest names for the post.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices P C Ghose and D Y Chandrachud said the new executive officer should be a consensual choice of amicus curiae Gopal Subramaniam and the temple trust, who would replace the existing officer and assume office from June 19.

It directed the Kerala government to give the names of probables for appointment as executive officer to the amicus and the temple trust.

The apex court also directed the concerned authorities to render their assistance to the new officer for discharging his duties.

The bench agreed to change the existing executive officer of the temple committee against whom several allegations were levelled.

The apex court had on May 3 suggested to the stakeholders, including the temple management committee and the Travancore royal family, to sit together and decide the names of experts for renovation of the historic Padmanabhaswamy temple without tampering with its archaeological heritage.

Senior advocate Krishan Venugopal, appearing for the Travancore royal family, had earlier said there were several allegations against the executive officer of the temple management committee which cannot be brushed aside.

Subramaniam had earlier expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and the temple management were executing the courts order on cleaning the two water tanks at the Kerala temple.

Earlier, the court had granted two months to the KWA to clean these water tanks. The government had fixed an estimate of Rs 28 lakh for the cleaning work.