The Hindu : Kerala News : TDB ordered to appoint veterinary doctor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

TDB ordered to appoint veterinary doctor

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, NOV. 24. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to appoint in a month one more veterinary doctor for looking after the elephants and other animals in temples under the TDB.

The Bench, comprising Justice S. Sanakrasubban and Justice A.K. Basheer, also directed the TDB to look after all the animals in its custody in a proper and hygienic atmosphere. The animals should be fed properly and they should be medically examined regularly.

While disposing of two writ petitions filed by Satheeshkumar of Thiruvalla and others, the Bench directed the TDB to distribute the duties of the two veterinary officers in such a manner that they could take care of the animals in the three Devaswom districts — Thiruvananthapuram, Vaikom, and Alappuzha.

The court was of the view that if the financial position of the Board did not allow it to appoint a new veterinary officer, it should stop accepting the animals offered by the devotees.

The petitioners had said that Manikandan, an elephant belonging to the Sree Vallabha Temple died because of lack of proper treatment. When the petition came up, the Bench appointed, Sreevallabhan, Additional District Judge, Pathanamthitta., to inquire into the incident. The inquiry report held the sub-group officer and the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner responsible for not providing necessary treatment to the elephant.

Contempt charge

A Bench, comprising the Chief Justice B. Subhashan Reddy and Justice Cyriac Joseph, framed contempt charges against Lin, Assistant Engineer, Transmission and Construction Sub-division, KSEB, Kattakada., for acting in violation of the undertaken given before the court.

The KSEB had given an undertaking before a single judge that if a line for 66 KV sub-station was to be drawn over the property of the petitioner, K.V. Lalan, the trees in his land would be felled only after getting permission from the Additional District Magistrate as required under the law.

According to the contempt petition filed by Mr. Lalan, the Assistant Engineer ordered felling of trees in his land without obtaining the permission of the ADM. The Bench directed the Assistant Engineer to appear in person on November 5 and file a reply to the charges.

Petition filed

A writ petition was filed against the move to appoint M. B. Sreekumar, SNDP Devaswom secretary, as TDB member. According to the petitioner, a petition seeking vigilance inquiry into the various irregularities committed by him while functioning as Guruvayur Devaswom member was pending before the State Government. Therefore, he was not entitled to be appointed as member of the Board. The petition was filed by Mahesh Ram.

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