Keralam govt. rolls back controversial decision to restore Punyam Poonkavanam project in Sabarimala
The Kerala government has reversed its decision to restore the 'Punyam Poonkavanam' project at the Sabarimala temple following concerns over court orders and allegations of financial irregularities. The government previously exonerated a police officer involved in the project, but the reversal reflects ongoing legal and administrative scrutiny.
Why it matters
The case highlights the tension between government administrative initiatives and judicial oversight regarding religious site management and public funds.
The Keralam government has recalled its decision to reintroduce the controversial Punyam Poonkavanam project at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, which had been earlier stopped by the Kerala High Court.
The government had ordered the restoration of the project on July 24, 2026, while absolving P. Vijayan, Additional Director General of Police, also the former nodal officer of the community-policing project, of all the allegations levelled against him in an inquiry report prepared by M.R. Ajithkumar, a former Chief Police Coordinator of Sabarimala and Additional Director General of Police.
Minhaj Alam, Additional Chief Secretary, had permitted the project to continue as he found that Punyam Poonkavanam was “an exemplary community initiative by the Kerala Police in Sabarimala”.
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