THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The five-member expert committee empowered to evaluate the treasure of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple has stated that opening of B chamber is necessary for inventory management and to take required security measures to strengthen the chamber from inside.In its interim report submitted to Supreme Court today,it has been made clear that the opening of B chamber is essential for ascertaining the condition and structure of the chamber from inside so as to take measures to strengthening it. “Kallara B without strengthening will be susceptible to tunneling attempt,” the report warns.Further, the report said that for documentation of all artefacts/treasure items, demarcation of specific area is required.“The area may be secured by installing temporary metal screens to block the view of devotees visiting daily and other unauthorized persons. The area in front of the Kallara B can be utilized for the purpose and sufficient armed police guards may be posted around for securing the area,” suggests the interim report.The expert committee also suggested that the entry to this area must be restricted to authorized persons only as specified in the guidelines by the Supreme Court.“All the activities related to scientific documentation of the treasure items should be done under CCTV surveillance, including movement of treassure items outward and inward to the Kallaras. These activities should be monitored by police officials at the CCTV control room. The control room should get only live feed and provision of recording of data at police control room should not be made available,” the report said.The five-member expert committee chaired by C V Anandabose, vice chancellor, National Museum Institute have also given detailed interim budget required to carry out the evaluation process. According to the report,expenses estimated for setting up office and hiring of required professionals is Rs 2.98 crore.The expense includes the recurring expense for a period of one year during which evaluation process will take place.The salary for a period of one year for the manpower required for the evaluation is earmarked as Rs 35.40 lakh and salary for experts such as gemologist, conservators and metallurgist is quoted at Rs 30 lakh. The note included in the interim budget part says that the total amount does not include the support given by the state government/ temple administration by way of infrastructure, capital works and hiring the services of implementing agencies.The committee comprising of M V Nair of the archeological department, V K Harikumar, executive officer of the temple, B V Raja of the Archeological Survey of India and Vikas Sharma of the Reserve Bank of India as it members is scheduled to meet again this week.Meanwhile, the royal family has once again demnaded that B chamber should not be opened ,referring to the astrological findings in the Devaprasnam,even when it has received flak from the supreme court. The Travancore Royal Family had earlier filed a plea in the Supreme Court not to open the B chamber and also not to videograph or photograph the proceedings of the evaluation as directed by the SC.
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