The Hindu Business Line : Kerala okays Sabarimala development plan

The prime vision is to provide a great experience to pilgrims by ensuring essential facilities while conserving and upgrading the pristine location and traditional values.

Thiruvananthapuram May 2 The State Government has approved a developmental plan for Sabarimala as suggested by IL&FS Ecosmart, environment infrastructure consultants.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, the Chief Minister, Mr V. S. Achuthanandan, told newspersons on Wednesday.

The Government had commissioned Ecosmart to prepare an "outline of the master plan" for Sabarimala that would form the basis for the preparation of the masterplan itself.

Directions from the Supreme Court and the Sabarimala Empowered Committee, in the meanwhile, also had influenced the preparation of the masterplan.

50-YEAR PLAN

The draft master plan details the developmental vision over a span of 50 years. The plan addresses the aspects related to the pilgrimage in a wider regional context.

The prime vision is to provide a great experience to pilgrims by ensuring essential facilities while conserving and upgrading the pristine location and traditional values, which is the essence of the pilgrimage.

A base camp at downhill Nilackel, a parking facility on the hilltop and a queue complex are some schemes forming part of the master plan.

OTHER DECISIONS

The Cabinet also decided to preserve the Kovalam Palace as an archaeological monument. The Department of Culture would initiate necessary steps to bring this into fruition.

The Cabinet has proposed to come out with a slew of developmental schemes to coincide with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government's first year in office, which falls on May 18.

The Cabinet will, in its next sitting, decide on the projects to be taken up at various parts of the State, Mr Achuthanandan said.

The Government intends to revive the `People's Plan' programme as well.

The Cabinet has decided in favour of a payout of Rs 120 each as pension to workers in the bamboo sector in the State.

Arrears would be payable for the immediate past year. Nearly 900 workers would benefit from the scheme, the Chief Minister said.

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