The personal interview of candidates applied for the Melsanthi posts at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and Malikapuram Devi Temple held at the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on September 29 and 30 has kicked up a controversy with many candidates alleging lack of transparency and favouritism in the selection process.
No interview
Talking to The Hindu , a group of priests, who are at present employed at various TDB temples, alleged that the selection committee had prepared the list of candidates for the Malikappuram Melsanthi post without even conducting the mandatory personal interview.
The priests who preferred to protect their identity for the time being further alleged that even candidates who were facing criminal charges and against whom the Devaswom Vigilance had filed a negative report too had been allegedly shortlisted for the Sabarimala Melsanthi post.
This was in gross violation of the guidelines prescribed for the selection process, they alleged.
A priest who had secured first rank in Tantra from the Tantra Vidya Peedhom at Aluva too failed to find a place in the Travancore Devaswom Board list, they alleged.
The priests said they were exploring the possibility of challenging the list in the Kerala High Court.
