Former Kerala CS Jayakumar sworn in as TDB President

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar was sworn in on Saturday as President of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), taking charge at a time when the temple body is grappling with the fallout of the Sabarimala gold heist scandal.

His appointment coincides with the Kerala High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team’s probe into the alleged theft and illegal sale of gold plating from the Sabarimala temple, reportedly involving former senior TDB officials.

Acknowledging the crisis, Jayakumar said: “At the moment, the SIT is going forward in a good way. It is certainly very sad for the devotees. I will ensure such things don’t happen again.” He stressed that his foremost priority is to restore faith, promising zero tolerance towards malpractice. “There will be no more swindling. If the TDB is strong, nothing wrong will happen. If any wrong happens, it will be curtailed and dealt with appropriately,” he added.

Jayakumar described his new role as “a great opportunity” rather than a challenge, noting that he assumes office just ahead of the two-month Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which opens on Monday.

The appointment of the 73-year-old retired bureaucrat marks a departure from tradition, as TDB leadership has typically been filled by political appointees. A respected administrator and cultural figure, Jayakumar has served under both LDF and UDF governments and has prior experience with Sabarimala’s operational committees.

Beyond his bureaucratic career, he is also known as a poet, lyricist and screenwriter, and currently heads the Institute of Management in Government, Kerala’s premier civil service training centre.

Alongside Jayakumar, veteran CPI leader and former State Forest Minister K. Raju was sworn in as a member. For the state government, the appointments signal an effort to restore credibility and administrative depth to the TDB as it faces one of its most sensitive crises in recent memory.

(Inputs from IANS)