The government is keen on augmenting the storage capacity of the Kunnar dam, which supplies water to Sabarimala Sannidhanam, and setting up a Rs.70-crore drinking water supply scheme of the Kerala Water Authority at Nilackal, Devaswom Minister V.S. Sivakumar has said.
Talking to presspersons here on Wednesday, the Minister said a hospital with accommodation facility for doctors would be constructed at Charalmedu on the Swami Ayyappan Road.
He said Aerial Bunched Cable would be stretched on either side of the Nilackal-Pampa Road.
Mr. Sivakumar called upon the Centre to delink 500 ha of forestland that houses Sabarimala from the Periyar Tiger Reserve as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee chaired by Sardar Buta Singh in 2004.
He said the State government had made a representation to the Union government, seeking a budget allocation of Rs.100 crore for Sabarimala development.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the High Power Committee for the implementation of the Sabarimala Master Plan would initiate steps to execute the proposed double-storey Valiya Nadappanthal project at the Sannidhanam and 20 queue complexes on the Marakkoottom-Sannidhanam stretch of the trekking path in a time-bound manner.
Rise in revenue
The collection at the Ayyappa temple during the ongoing Mandalam- Makaravilakku pilgrimage season has crossed Rs.200,65,79,276 as on Wednesday morning against Rs.186.31 crore collected during the previous pilgrim season,
Mr. Sivakumar said the Aravana sales and Hundi collection fetched Rs.75.97 crore and Rs.89.43 crore respectively. The TDB collected Rs.4.12 crore by way of room rent during this season against Rs.3.7 crore collected last year, he said.
