TDB Vigilance probes suspicious money transfers of daily wage workers at Sabarimala

The Vigilance wing of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has launched a probe into reports that several daily wage workers deployed at Sabarimala during the recently concluded annual pilgrimage season sent home large sums of money.

Vigilance officials are scrutinising the bank account details of all the daily wage workers posted at the Sannidhanam. Preliminary findings indicate that the workers transferred money daily through two banks and a post office operating at the Sannidhanam.

Usually, daily wage workers at Sabarimala receive their wages, fixed at ₹650 a day, in their bank accounts only after the pilgrimage season concludes. However, the transfer of substantial amounts even before the official disbursal of wages has raised suspicion that the money could be proceeds of illegal earnings.

According to TDB sources, between 50 and 100 daily wage workers have come under the Vigilance scanner. They were engaged in various forms of casual work during the season, including loading and unloading food supplies. “These workers are suspected to have obtained the money by offering pilgrims unauthorised assistance to expedite darshan,” said an official.

₹3,000 to ₹5,000 a day

The issue came to light following reports of several temporary staff members sending money orders and making bank transfers ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 a day from the Sannidhanam.

The probe comes close on the heels of another Vigilance investigation into alleged irregularities in the sale of ghee offerings through the counters at the Sannidhanam, which led to the arrest of one person. Earlier this season, authorities had also caught two temporary staff members deployed for counting donations at the temple while attempting to pilfer currency and gold.