The Hindu : Better facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Better facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims

By Our Staff Reporter

PAMPA (Pathanamthitta district) NOV. 16. The Devaswom Minister, G. Karthikeyan, has said that the Government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have taken all possible measures for the smooth conduct of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala that began today.

The Minister was addressing a press conference at the Devaswom Maramath complex in Pampa this afternoon.

According to him, the Government hospitals at Adoor, Ranni, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Changanacherry, Kozhencherry and Pathanamthitta would function round-the-clock during the two-month-long pilgrim season.

The cardiology centre at Neelimala and Appachimedu on the traditional trekking path would be opened tomorrow itself.

The Civil Supplies Corporation would open a Maveli medical store in Pampa soon, he added.

Mr. Karthikeyan said the TDB had posted a liaison officer at Pampa and Sannidhanam to facilitate smooth coordination between the TDB departments and various Government agencies during the pilgrim season. G. Muralikrishnan and P. R. Chandramohan will be the liaison officers at Sannidhanam and Pampa respectively in the first phase of 20 days.

The Minister said that the TDB had set up a toll gate at Plappally exclusively for heavy vehicles, besides a toll gate at Chalakkayam.

In the peak days of the pilgrim season, heavy vehicles would not be permitted to Pampa and the passengers have to alight at Nilackal and continue their journey to Pampa in the proposed Pampa-Nilackal KSRTC chain service, he said.

The TDB has also set up temporary stalls at nine points on the Pampa-Sannidhanam trekking path to supply medicated drinking water, biscuits, tea, coffee, etc.

He said the laying of rubble blocks on the slush-prone stretches of the Swami Ayyappan road and the Chandranand road had been completed.

The Sabarimala chief coordinator, E. K. Bharathbhushan, the TDB president, N. Babu, member, Charupara Ravi, Commissioner, S. Ayyappan Nair, assistant police coordinator, Shekharan Miniyodan, Chief Forest Conservator, Rajaraja Varma, KSRTC Managing Director, Appukuttan Nair, Director of Health Services, C. K. Rajan and the District Collector, P. S. Enos, were also present at the press conference.

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