Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 6 (IANS) A joint sitting of the Supreme Court appointed committees on the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple Tuesday decided to set up a highly specialised agency for valuing the treasures found in its vaults. However, no decision was taken on opening the last vault.

The treasure trove of precious jewels is estimated to be worth more than Rs.1 lakh crore.

Speaking to reporters after the joint meeting, National Museum director general C.V.Ananda Bose, who heads the one of the committees, said Tuesday’s meeting has done everything to begin the second round of the job that the apex court has entrusted them.

“It has been decided that the work of valuation would be entrusted to an agency who are competent to do this and it will start soon. We will now inform the apex court about our decisions that was arrived at today’s meeting,” said Bose.

In all there are six vault in the temple of which five have been opened based on a petition filed by a former Indian Police Service (IPS) official T.P.Sunderarajan and it was in July that the supreme court appointed committee stumbled upon the treasure from the vault A which was unopened for more than 150 years.

Sunderarajan passed away July 17.

Following this, the apex court again intervened. A bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik last month appointed two different committees - one consisting of five experts headed by Bose mandated to videograph and photograph the articles found in vault A of the temple and another three member committee, to be headed by Justice M.N. Krishnan, to oversee the operations of the expert committee.

Tuesday’s meeting however did not take up the case on whether vault B, which is believed to contain priceless treasures, should be opened.