Work on the four self-contained queue complexes on the Marakkoottom-Saramkuthi stretch of the trekking path to Sabarimala is progressing and would be over before the beginning of the Mandalam- Makaravilakku pilgrim season, which begins mid-November.
Talking to The Hindu , Travancore Devaswom Board Chief Engineer P.S. Jolly Ullas said the works department of the board was supervising the work undertook by the High-Power Committee (HPC) for implementing the Sabarimala Master Plan.
Mr. Ullas said the four queue complexes were estimated to cost of Rs.6 crore and the contractor had promised to complete them by October. The HPC had invited tenders for constructing seven more queue complexes envisaged on the trekking path, he said.
Appam unit
Mr. Ullas said a team of experts of the Bengaluru-based SS Automation Solutions Private Limited inspected the Appam- Aravana plant at Sabarimala a few days ago as part of a TDB move to install a mechanised Appam preparation and packing plant there.
He said company director M.S. Suresh was confident of installing a robot-controlled Appam plant with a capacity to produce 1,00,000 packets daily in the next few months itself.
The company made a working model of the plant and presented it before TDB member Subhash Vasu and Mr. Ullas three weeks ago.
Automated Bhandarom
Mr. Suresh also explored the feasibility of setting up a robot-controlled Bhandarom at Sabarimala. He said the company would prepare a project report and a working model soon.
Mr. Vasu said the proposed Bhandarom would avoid human presence eliminating the possibility of theft. He said the TDB was for implementing both the projects through sponsorship. The board was even ready to execute the project on its own, he said.
