A technical review of the development activities undertaken in Sabarimala during the last nine years has brought out large-scale failings on the part of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in honouring the undertakings it had given to the Supreme Court for getting forestland released for providing more facilities for the pilgrims visiting the temple there.
The review was done during a visit of the area by members of the High Power Committee (HPC) for the Implementation of the Sabarimala Master Plan in February this year, along with the consultants who had prepared the original master plan. More than a year before this, the Chief Wildlife Warden had written an 18-page report to the chairman of the HPC listing construction activities that flouted the approved master plan.
According to the report (dated June 18) of the consultants — IL&FS Environmental Infrastructure and Services Limited — to the HPC on this joint visit, a copy of which was obtained by The Hindu , they “observed many deviations from the master plan and its guidelines.”
