Pullukulangara Sree Dharma Sastha Temple faces probe for storing tusks

ALAPPUZHA: The Pullukkulangara Dharma Sastha Temple, near Kayamkulam, is facing a probe into the alleged violation of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Wildlife Stock Rules, 2003. The temple administration has been keeping under its custody the tusks of Pullukulangara Ganesan, 48, which died in 2009, which is against the rules. Mr V.K. Venkitachalam, secretary, Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF), had filed a complaint against this with the forest authorities.

Based on his complaint, Mr Rajiv Kumar Srivastava, Inspector-General, Project Elephant, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has sought a probe by the chief wildlife warden. Mr Venkitachalam had sent the complaint after the temple authorities unveiled the idol of Ganesan, 48, on the temple premise on Thursday. Mr Srivastava in his order said that the complaint, if true, was a serious matter.

It was on November 3, 2009 that Ganesan, who served the temple deity for over three decades, died following age-related ailments. On that day, while forest department officials came to the temple office to take possession of its tusks as per law, a mob threatened them and prevented them from doing their duty. Mr Venkitachalam said that as per an RTI query, the tusks of Ganesan remained under the custody of the temple administration. Neither an individual nor a committee can claim legal authority over the tusks and only the state has the right to conserve them, he said.