HC strikes down Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board Act provisions that empowered KDRB to appoint candidates

The Kerala High Court has struck down the relevant provisions of the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board Act that empowered the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB) to appoint candidates to various posts in the devaswom, and in aided educational institutions under the devaswom.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Sushruth Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. directed that further proceedings relating to the appointment or selection of candidates to these posts, must be done as per the Guruvayoor Devaswom Act, 1978. The direction came on an appeal filed by the Guruvayur Devaswom Employees Union Congress and others, challenging the relevant provisions of the KDRB Act.

The court also quashed the notification issued by the KDRB inviting applications for various posts and added that the KDRB shall not henceforth conduct any selection proceedings for appointments to these posts. Appointments already made by the board would remain undisturbed.

In addition, the managing committee of Guruvayur Devaswom has to initiate the appointment process afresh, while a special committee would supervise and control the entire process. The committee would have a one year tenure.

The HC further went on to appoint as the committee’s head, retired judge of the Kerala High Court, P.N. Ravindran. The other members would be the Administrator of the Devaswom’s managing committee and K. Anand, a lawyer.