In a significant development in a long-running case concerning financial transparency in temple administration, the Kerala High Court recently impleaded the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) as an additional party in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) accounts digitisation matter. The bench, led by Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar, issued the order on January 16, 2026, underscoring its concern over whether KSITIL possesses sufficient technical expertise to handle the critical task of preparing a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) for the digitisation of accounts across multiple temples under the Board’s jurisdiction.
The case traces back to a special audit report that exposed a ₹40 lakh embezzlement at the Nilakkal petrol pump, operated by the TDB to support the Sabarimala pilgrimage — a discovery that brought systemic weaknesses in financial controls into sharp focus. The court previously directed a comprehensive digitisation of all temple accounts to ensure better auditing, real-time tracking and transparency.
During proceedings, the TDB informed the court that it had engaged KSITIL to develop the RFP within a month, with subsequent bidding and contract finalisation slated by late April. However, the High Court expressed doubts about KSITIL’s experience and capability to handle “enterprise-grade” digitisation requirements involving complex accounting, monitoring and security needs.
To address this, the court has summoned KSITIL’s technical lead for a virtual interaction on January 28, 2026, to directly assess the firm’s qualifications and preparedness. This move reflects the judiciary’s proactive stance to uphold accountability in public sector technology initiatives, especially when they involve sensitive religious institutions and large volumes of public offerings.
News as reported
