The Travancore Devaswom Board, along with the high-power committee for implementation of the Sabarimala master plan, will launch development projects estimated at a total of Rs.136 crore at Sabarimala soon, M.P. Govindan Nair, Board president, has said.
At a press conference at Sabarimala on Thursday, Mr. Nair said a decision had been taken to spend Rs.1 crore to augment the capacity of the Kunnar dam from where water was being supplied in the Sannidhanam. Another Rs.1 crore would be spent on renovating the Lower Tirumuttom.
He said a Rs.35-crore project had been envisaged to construct a modern, double-storey Valiya Nadappanthal. A modern sewage-treatment plant, estimated at Rs.22.5 crore, and a road for use of tractors, estimated at Rs.32 lakh, would be another major project. Mr. Nair said a decision had been taken to construct queue complexes along the Marakkoottom-Saramkuthi stretch of the traditional path leading to the Sannidhanam.
He said toilet complexes would be renovated at an estimated cost of Rs.1 crore and Rs.6 crore would be utilised for renovating the Malikappuram Devi temple. A sum of Rs.15 crore had been set apart for constructing a modern Appam-Aravana plant.
He said a Kolkata-based company would be executing the proposed ropeway project between Pampa Hilltop and Sabarimala on a build, operate, and transfer basis. The project work would begin as soon as the pilgrim season ended. A commercial complex and an Annadana Mandapam would be constructed at Pampa at an estimated cost of Rs.5 crore, besides a Rs.5-crore godown at Pampa Hilltop, he added.
