Southern States - Kerala   

Special Intelligence Cell set up at Sabarimala

By Our Staff Reporter

SABARIMALA Nov. 16. The Devaswom Minister, G. Karthikeyan, has said that the police had set up a Special Intelligence Cell at Pampa and Sannidhanam as part of the security arrangements at Sabarimala during the annual pilgrim season.

The Minister was addressing a press conference after a meeting of various departmental heads and the Travancore Devaswom Board authorities at the Devaswom Maramath Complex at Pampa this afternoon.

Mr. Karthikeyan said that the police had made elaborate security arrangements at Sabarimala. The Additional Director General of Police, Sukumaran Nair, the Inspector General of Police, V.R. Rajeevan, who is also the chief police coordinator, and G. Baburaj, DIG and additional coordinator, were camping at Sabarimala to monitor the security arrangements, he said.

The chief coordinator and the Devaswom Secretary, E.K. Bharath Bhushan, said that State Rapid Action Force has been deployed at various a few key points at Sabarimala.

The District Superintendent of Police, Dinendra Kashyap, who is also the special police liaison officer, said that two special police stations have been opened at Sannidhanam and Vadasserikkara.

Mr. Bhushan, who is also the Health Secretary, said that a total of 963 medical and paramedical staff have been deployed on special duty at various hospitals at Pampa, Sannidhanam, Appachimedu as well as at various satellite healthcare centres in the district in view of the pilgrim season.

He said that the Health Department would issue `health cards' to all the workers employed at various hotels, restaurants as well as tea and coffee shops at Sabarimala and Nilackal.

The Minister said that the Devaswom Vigilance Department would issue photo identity cards to all the workers at the shops and other business establishments at Pampa, Sannidhanam, Nilackal and along the trekking path. He said that the licence of those shops that employ workers without the identity cards would be cancelled.

The Health Department has arranged 20 ambulances at Pampa during the pilgrim season. He said that the Medical Education Department had deputed 64 doctors, including cardiologists and other specialists, for Sabarimala duty.

Mr. Karthikeyan said that the Kerala Water Authority has made arrangements to supply pressure-filtered drinking water at Pampa and Sabarimala during the pilgrim season. The Water Resources Department has constructed two more check dams in the upstream of Triveni to flush out the filth from the Pampa-Triveni during the peak days of the pilgrim season.

The Akhila Bharath Aayyappa Seva Sanghom volunteers would man the 12 oxygen parlours set up by the Health Department along the trekking path.

The Civil Supplies Corporation will open the Maveli hotel at Sanndhanam on November 17 and at Pampa on November 19, Mr. Karthikeyan said.

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