The Hindu Business Line : Govt support to Sabarimala inadequate: TDB

DESPITE being a major revenue source for the State, lack of adequate government support in providing vital infrastructure for the pilgrims visiting Sabarimala is a major constraint, says the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Speaking to Business Line , Mr G. Raman Nair, President, TDB, which administers and control around 2,000 temples in southern Kerala including the hilltop shrine, said that during the pilgrim season adequate health care facilities are not available on the trekking path from Pampa to Sabarimala. Besides, there is no permanent power connection as a result of which the Devaswom Board has to pay Rs 14 for per unit of power supplied. The Sabarimala shrine remains open for 160 days a year. But for development works, power supply is required for the entire year.In fact, near Pampa, two acres of land was allotted to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) besides paying Rs 70 lakh about 10 years ago, for setting up a 60 KV substation. But, no station has been set up so far and now the KSEB says that construction of the substation would cost Rs 3 crore, Mr Raman Nair said. In fact, the allotted land is used by the KSEB as a pay and parking area during the pilgrim seasonhe alleged. The TDB had, in the last season, paid Rs 3.5 crore towards power cost, he added.

The Board had to doll out money even for releasing water into the Pampa for cleaning up the river. Health facilities provided during the pilgrim season is quite inadequate, he said. The cardiology unit, which operates during the peak pilgrim season, has only two beds. During Vishu last week, four people died of heart attack, he pointed out.

The government needs to make arrangements to set up such health care units with enough beds, equipment, medicine and specialists considering the large number of pilgrims climbing the hill. Even for the medical facilities set up by the government during the season, the Board has to bear the entire cost including the TA/DA etc for the doctors and staff, he said.

According to him, the government had garnered around Rs 200 crore by way of entry tax for vehicles that came from outside the State in the last season. Besides, the State Transport Corporation also made a substantial earning by transporting pilgrims. During the season an estimated 3.5 crore people visited the shrine. Majority of them were from other States such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Development projects

On the proposed `queue complex' at Marakoottam on the trekking path from Pampa to Sabarimala, to regulate the movement of devotees to Sannidhanam, he said it would have the capacity to accommodate 50,000 pilgrims at a time. It would be in compartments where adequate healthcare facilities including cardiology units having 8 beds, oxygen parlours, first aid centres, facilities for drinking water and snacks, toilet facility etc would be available. Development of this area would be done in such a way that it would not disturb the serenity of forests.

In addition, the Rs 16-crore project already sanctioned by the Centre under the National River Conservation Programme would also be taken up along with the proposed projects, he said.

Similar facilities would be created on the route to Sabarimala via Uppupara depending on the number of devotees arriving through this trekking path, he said.

However, it would take place only after the 12 hectares of land in the area, which falls under the Periyar Wild Life sanctuary was allotted to the Board. The Central Advisory Committee for the Wild Life has already approved allotment of the forestland to the Board in its meeting on April 6 and the allotment would take place once the Supreme Court accorded its concurrence, he said. Meanwhile, 20 hectares of land has already been allotted at Nilakkal where an additional 90 hectares would be handed over by the State Government. This area would be developed as a major transit camp having all the basic amenities. It would have a helipad, rainwater harvesting facilities, yoga and meditation centre, vedic and thantric school etc.

Besides, it is planning to introduce pilgrimage trips linking the Ayyappa temples at Achankoil, Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu, the ancient Nilakkal Mahadevar temple and the Palliayarakavu Devi temple for the devotees, he said.

To separate the "Appam and Aravana" manufacturing units from the existing location which is very close to the shrine, a new complex would be built at a cost of Rs 10 crore. The foundation stone for the complex was on April 14 last, he said.

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