The Sabarimala development should be on the basis of a definite master plan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
The Chief Minister was laying the foundation stone for the proposed Punyadarshanam Complex of the Tourism Department at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Tuesday.
According to him, it is also important to avoid construction of more concrete buildings in the name of development. Instead, various other basic facilities should be provided at Sabarimala, he added. The pilgrims visiting Sabarimala required only a modicum of facilities as they return immediately after having the holy darshan, he said.
The Chief Minister also launched work on the proposed water tank with a capacity to store 36 lakh litres at Paandithavalom.
The Tourism Department would provide the funds for the proposed Punyadarshanam Complex. which is estimated to cost ₹4.99 crore.
The Punyadarshanam Complex will have 24 well furnished rooms, a conference hall with state-of-the art facilities, a dining hall, and a pilgrim facilitation centre.
Presiding over the function, Kadakampally Surendran, Devaswom Minister, said the government had decided to spent ₹204 crore for implementing various development projects at Sabarimala, besides Central funds of ₹100 crore.
Mr. Surendran said the charges levelled by certain quarters that the revenue collected at various temples went to the State treasury were absolutely baseless. Instead, the government had been providing funds required for various temples, he said. E. Chandrashekharan, Revenue Minister; G. Sudhakaran, Public Works Minister; K. Raju, Forest Minister; Mathew T. Thomas, Water Resources Minister; Anto Antony and Joyce George, MPs; Raju Abraham, MLA; Prayar Gopalakrishnan, TDB president; Ajay Tharayil and K. Raghavan, board members; O.K. Vasu, Malabar Devaswom Board president, and K.R. Jyotilal, Revenue Secretary, were present.
At Pampa
The Chief Minister also launched the Pampa Manalpuram beautification project in the afternoon.
