Kerala   

Minister to study pilgrim facilities at Tirupati temple

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS: Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran waiting for his turn to buy ‘aravana’ at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Monday.

SABARIMALA: Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran said he was planning to visit Tirupati to study the arrangements for pilgrims as well as the crowd management system there. The possibility of implementing a similar system at Sabarimala would be explored, he said.

Talking to reporters at Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Monday, Mr. Sudhakaran called upon leaders of political parties not to interfere with Sabarimala affairs. “It is purely a place of worship where politicians have no role,” he added.

He said the agitations over Sabarimala, staged by certain parties and organisations, were politically motivated. “No genuine Ayyappa devotee participated in these strikes,” claimed the Minister.

He also alleged that certain Left party leaders were meddling with Sabarimala affairs and trying to shield corrupt practices in the Travancore Devaswom Board. He said it was of utmost importance for the Left parties to nominate only reputed people to organisations like the Travancore Devaswom Board. Mr. Sudhakaran said he had suggested five names — J. Lalithambika, Sugathakumari, Hridayakumari, Dr. Omanakutty and J. Chandra — to the post of TDB member.

The Minister said he would urge the Home Department to provide special allowance for the police personnel posted for Sabarimala duty.

He said the TDB should also provide more facilities to the police as well as the Fire and Rescue team camping at Sabarimala at least from the next pilgrim season.

He inaugurated a Neethi store at Pampa where pilgrims will get one kilogram rice for Rs.14 this pilgrim season. He also launched the free-food scheme for pilgrims, sponsored by the Guruvayur Devaswom, at Nilackal base camp on Monday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

An impressive musical evening
All decked up
In various hues
Today at Sabarimala
Six injured in clashes during temple festival
Minister to study pilgrim facilities at Tirupati temple
Remembering a masterpiece
campus notes
New dawn, new hopes
Rs.8 crore in gold and cash stolen from gramin bank
Pilgrims’ death: VS for ex gratia to kin
Pro-active advocacy for coconut stressed
“Action plan for Sabarimala”
Thus ends a year
‘Jugalbandhi is a concert, not a contest’

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu