Padmanabhaswamy temple reports loss of 769 gold pots, worth Rs 186 crore

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16: According to a report submitted by India's richest temple-Padmanabhaswamy-to the Supreme Court, 769 gold pots are missing from the precincts.

Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai, reacting to the news, said that the disappearance of the gold pot, weighing 776 Kg from the temple trove needs a detailed probe.

According to the report, gold worth Rs 186 crore in the form of 769 gold pots is not traceable. It further added that 30 percent of the gold sent for melting and purification was lost.

A source said, "Gold worth Rs 2.50 crore was lost because of change in ratio adopted for purification. Moreover, the residual quantity of gold was not recovered from the contractor which lead to a loss of Rs 59 lakhs."

The report further added, "There was a lack of transparency in Kanikka counting. Gold and silver worth Rs 14.18 lakh had not been entered in the Nadavarav register, which is illegal. Silver bar with the value of Rs 14 lakh was found to be missing."

Rai has suggested changes in the temple's security arrangements. He further said, "Priceless items in the temple should be housed in a modern museum and security installments need to be altered a bit." He also advised the appointment of a new committee led by a retired All India Service Officer.

OneIndia News