Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan will convene an official conference to deliberate on measures to be taken for thesecurity and safety of pilgrims reaching Pamba and the Sannidhanam at Sabarimala.
Briefing the media on the decisions of the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that representatives of the departments concerned would attend the conference. The date would be announced later.
Mr. Achuthanandan said that the Cabinet had decided to form a special team to disburse solatia directly to the victims of the stampede at Pulmedu near Sabarimala last Friday. The State Government and the Travancore Devaswom Board would give Rs. 5 lakh each to next of kin of the 102 persons killed in the stampede. Besides, the Prime Minister had sanctioned Rs. 1 lakh each. The inured would be given Rs. 50000 or Rs. 25000 depending on the seriousness of their injuries.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said that the government did not propose to conduct any scientific study on ‘Makarajyothi’ at Sabarimala. Many devotees were gathering at Sabarimala to witness the
‘Makarajyothi’ on the basis of their beliefs. Scientists included materialists and spiritualists and no enquiry by either group was proposed.
He said that he would examine why the report of the Justice Chandrasekhara Menon Commission, which enquired into the stampede at Sabarimala in 1999, was not placed before the Assembly with an action taken report.
