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Devaswom Minister visits Sannidhanam

SABARIMALA: Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran reached Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Saturday evening to collect first-hand information on the situation at the holy hillock before his scheduled official meeting at Pampa on Sunday forenoon to review the arrangements being made by various departments and the Travancore Devaswom Board for the Makaravilakku festival.

This is for the time that Mr. Sudhakaran is visiting the holy hillock. He reached Pampa by 4 p.m. and undertook the trek to Sannidhanam through the Neelimala-Appachimedu trekking path at 5 p.m.

The Minister reached Sannidhanam by 6.50 p.m.

He visited the new emergency operation theatre at Sannidhanam to be inaugurated by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on Monday.

Interacting with devotees from Andhra Pradesh while taking a brief halt in Appachimedu, Mr. Sudhakaran said, “we are planning a Tirupati-model development in Sabarimala too.”

The Minister had a tour of Sannidhanam, Malikapuram, Pandithavalom, etc. later.

The review meeting will be held at the KSEB hall at Pampa-Triveni at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

The Chief Minister is expected to reach Pampa on Sunday afternoon. He will stay back at Pampa and will proceed to Sannidhanam on foot at 4 a.m. on Monday to inaugurate the emergency operation theatre and a 20-bed operation ward there at 7 a.m.

A medical team will also accompany the Chief Minister from Pampa to Sannidhanam, according to District Medical Officer N.N. Murali.

The DMO said equipment worth Rs.50 lakh would be installed at the new operation theatre in an effort to extend specialty healthcare to pilgrims at Sannidhanam.

He said five doctors (specialists), two staff nurses, two nursing assistants and two attenders had also been posted at the new operation ward.

Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy will preside over the inaugural function and Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.

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