The government has directed the district collectors concerned to implement the short-term measures proposed by the Justice (Rtd.) M. R. Hariharan Nair Commission report on the Pulmedu disaster to ensure safety of Sabarimala pilgrims.
Responding to a call attention motion from E. S. Bijimol (CPI) in the Assembly on Tuesday, Devaswom Minister V. S. Sivakumar said that among the measures proposed was a ban on parking of private vehicles at Pullupara and to create additional parking facilities at Kumily and Vandiperiyar, he said.
The Minister said that the government was also taking steps to put up signage in six languages in the route leading to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa and improve the infrastructure facilities in the pilgrim centre.
Rail line: Minister in charge of Railways Aryadan Mohammed said in response to a call attention motion from T. A. Ahmed Kabeer (IUML) that difficulties in land acquisition were coming in the way of rail development in the State. Construction of the Nilambur-Nanjengode line and that between Kuttippuram and Guruvayur and Tanur and Guruvayur was also getting delayed on account of difficulty in land acquisition, he said.
While most other States were spending on their own around Rs 1,000 crores annually for railway development, there was no such practice in the State. This was hampering railway development in Kerala, Mr. Mohammed said.
