TDB seeks upward revision of offering rates

Hit hard by the COVID-19 induced lockdown that has been extended in different phases, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) looks to revise the rates for offerings in the temples governed by it.Accordin

Hit hard by the COVID-19 induced lockdown that has been extended in different phases, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) looks to revise the rates for offerings in the temples governed by it. According to officials, the special committee led by the TDB Commissioner has kick started the procedure for revising the rates for various offerings, which will come into effect upon receiving a nod from the Kerala high Court. The proposal, which follows a move by the Board to sell out its excess stock of utensils and vessels, envisages an upward revision of these rates by ₹ 5 to ₹ 20. Confirming the proposal, TDB president N. Vasu, meanwhile, said that it had nothing to do with the financial crisis experienced by the agency but aimed to account for the actual rates of materials used in these offerings. “It has been almost five years since we effected a rate hike while the cost of materials has gone up so much over the period,” he said.