The Forest Department and the Food Safety Department should stop actions that caused difficulties to pilgrims, Minister for Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran has said.
He was reviewing the functioning of various departments and the Travancore Devaswom Board during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Pampa on Friday.
The Kerala State Electricity Board had erected temporary posts with lamps at Pampa Hilltop to avert accidents during the pilgrim season. Unfortunately, a forest official removed these posts, claiming that the area came under the Forest Department. In case of accidents in the area due to lack of proper lighting, the official concerned would be held responsible, Mr. Surendran said.
The Minister directed the District Collector to take necessary steps to ensure adequate facilities for the pilgrims, invoking the Kerala State Disaster Management Rules.
Similarly, the Forest Department had taken over the land used as parking ground for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses at Pampa, forcing the corporation to park its buses along the Pampa- Chalakkayam road. The parking of vehicles on the main trunk road might lead to traffic bottlenecks, Mr. Surendran said.
The Minister said the Food Safety Department had even taken samples of the prasadom at the Sabarimala temple for quality analysis. Such a situation was not there in the past and the department should restrain themselves from causing inconveniences to the pilgrims season, he said. The focus was on ensuring the safety of the pilgrims, the Minister said stressing the need for foolproof security arrangements.
Mr. Surendran said as many as nine pilgrims died of cardiac ailments at Sabarimala during the pilgrim season. The Forest Department and the TDB had arranged an off-road ambulance each at the Sannidhanam and Pampa for carrying pilgrims in case of an emergency.
