The Hindu : Kerala News : Ombudsman seeks panel to monitor Sabarimala plan

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Ombudsman seeks panel to monitor Sabarimala plan

Wants panel constituted before next season

Says high power panel functioned effectively
‘Proper mechanism not in place at Sabarimala’

Kochi: Ombudsman for Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards R. Bhaskaran on Tuesday suggested before a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that a committee to monitor the implementation of the Sabarimala master plan be constituted.

In a report submitted to the Bench, the Ombudsman suggested that the committee could consist of Additional Chief Secretary, representatives of the Travancore Devawom Board, chief engineers, TDB Commissioner and Secretary of the Board. The Ombudsman suggested that the committee be constituted at least before next year’s festival season so that major works could be inititated. The Ombudsman said that though he was required to monitor the implementation, experience showed that much time could not be devoted to monitoring work as this office was to help with the auditing work of two boards and hear complaints regarding as many as 1,200 temples and file reports on various matters referred to it.

The Ombudsman said that the high power committee for conducting the Sabarimala festival had functioned effectively and the president and members of the Travancore Devaswom Board had cooperated with the committee. Devotees had to wait for many hours and the absence of a proper mechanism to provide facilities to devotees was felt. This was because the implementation of the master plan for Sabarimala was at a snail’s pace.

Judge list challenged

Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair on Tuesday admitted a writ petition challenging the final rank list of 29 candidates prepared by the High Court Registrar-General for the posts of district and sessions Judges.

The court, while issuing notice to the State government and the High Court Registrar-General, made it clear that the appointment of candidates from the list would be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.

In the petition, Asha P. said that the decision to fix the age limit of candidates at 35 years after the test and interview was illegal.

The age limit was fixed after making an amendment to the Kerala State High Curt Judicial Service Rule in 2008. The petitioner said that applications for the posts were invited on April 16, 2007. The lower age limit was not fixed then. As per the law, the upper age limit for the forward caste candidates was 47 while 52 was the upper age limit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe candidates. She alleged that she had been excluded from the list because of the amendment. Besides, she belonged to the Schedule Caste community.

The petitioner sought to quash the rank list and restrain the government from granting approval to the list.

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