Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Modern Aravana plant to be built

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Travancore Devaswom Board has given administrative sanction for constructing a modern Aravana plant, estimated at Rs.13.7 crore, at Paandithavalam.

A meeting of the board at Sabarimala on Saturday took the decision. C.K. Guptan, president of the board; P. Narayanan and P.K. Sumathykutty Amma, members; and Thulasedharan Thampi, secretary, attended the meeting.

Mr. Gupthan said the board had also decided to construct a pilgrim shelter at Paandithavalam at an estimated cost of Rs.6 crore, besides modernising the police barracks at the Sannidhanam in a year.

He said the board would sanction Rs.5 lakh to Health Department towards allowances for the medical and paramedical staff on Sabarimala duty.

Mr. Guptan said the board had decided to revise the salary of priests, including that of Sabarimala Melsanthi, soon, besides revising the allowances, including ‘dakshina,’ of the Tantris of various temples.

A committee, chaired by Devaswom Commissioner P.V. Nalinakshan Nair, would submit a detailed report on pay revision in 15 days.

Earlier, Mr. Guptan held a closed-door meeting with Additional Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar, who is the chairman of High-Power Committee on Sabarimala, and M. Rajendran Nair, Special Commissioner appointed by Kerala High Court.

There is heavy rush at the Sannidhanam as thousands of pilgrims trekked the holy hillock, braving the heavy downpour in the forests for the past two days. The condition of the Marakoottom-Sannidhanam Chandranandan Road has become worse with tractors frequenting the slushy path on Friday and Saturday illegally. Pilgrims had to wait for hours together for darshan on Saturday.

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