The Hindu : Kerala News : All set for smooth conduct of pilgrimage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

All set for smooth conduct of pilgrimage

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, NOV. 14. The police have made elaborate arrangements for crowd control at the Sannidhanam and along the trekking path and to ensure smooth vehicular traffic on the main trunk road to Sabarimala during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Sabarimala.

The Kollam District Superintendent of Police, S. Sreejith, has been posted as the Police Special Officer at the Sannidhanam and T.P. Rajagopal is the Police Special Officer at Pampa during the first phase of the Mandalam season.

A total of 540 police constables have been posted at the Sannidhanam for the first phase, besides seven Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SPs), 22 Circle Inspectors and 51 Sub-Inspectors.

Police sources said that 290 police constables under four Dy.SPs, eight Circle Inspectors and 24 Sub-Inspectors have been deployed at Pampa for the first phase of the season.

Duty Magistrate

The District Collector, Rabeendra Kumar Agarwal, told The Hindu that the Wayanad Additional District Magistrate, Balakrishna Kurup, has been posted as the Duty Magistrate at Pampa for the first 10 days of the pilgrim season.

The Duty Magistrate will be assisted by the Executive Magistrate, D. Mohanrajan.

Two tahsildars have been posted at the Sannidhanam to coordinate the functioning of the Sabarimala Sanitation Society (SSS) and various other departments there.

Road inspection

The Special Commisssioner, D. Sreevallabhan, said that he had completed the inspection of various roads leading to Sabarimala from Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Repair and maintenance work would be over by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the widening work along the Chalakkayam-Pampa road was progressing at a slow pace and the construction of culverts was not likely to be completed in the next two weeks.

Sanitation workers

The SSS chaired by the Pathanamthitta District Collector deployed 450 workers at Pampa, Sanidhanam and along the trekking path. The Collector said that the SSS had already launched its cleaning operations.

He said that all the workers were given identity cards, uniforms, gloves and footwear.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has made arrangements for the food and accommodation of the sanitation workers at the Sannidhanam and Pampa.

The Devaswom Minister, K.C. Venugopal, has convened a meeting of the heads of various Government departments at the Collectorate conference hall here tomorrow to review the arrangements being made for the smooth conduct of the pilgrim season.

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