Meeting reviews facilities for Sabarimala devotees

A high-level meeting of officials at Sabarimala was held on Sunday during which various issues relating to facilities arranged for devotees for annual two-month-long pilgrim season were discussed.

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kakampally Surendran, who chaired meeting at Sannidhanam area, assessed flow of crowd and facilities put in place.

"We h discussed various facilities arranged at Nilackal, Pamba and Sannidhanam. We found some lapses which we will rectify in a day or two," Surendran told reporters after meeting.

He said issues of fund crunch were resolved after government released Rs 30 crore of Rs 100 crore allotted for hilltop shrine. "I hope this pilgrim season will solve fund deficiency in future," Surendran said.

Police officials stationed at Pamba told PTI that till Sunday morning, around 28,540 devotees h climbed hill.

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Even though TDB officials have claimed all facilities are in place, police officials at Pamba are t satisfied with telecom authorities. Calls to control room telephone number at Pamba went unanswered till 3 p.m.

" telecom authorities could have given connection even before season started on vember 16. y are yet to fix lines to control room," a police official stationed at Pamba said.

Minister also said small vehicles will be allowed to drop passengers till Pamba and KSRTC bus stand will opt a queue system and a conductor will be appointed in bus from Nilackal to Pamba.

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During last season, private vehicles were allowed only till Nilackal which is around 18 kms from Pamba, due to frenzied protests by a section of devotees and right- wing political parties. KSRTC buses used to ply devotees from Nilackal to Pamaba and back.

" vehicles will soon be able to drop devotees at Pamba and go back to Nilackal for parking," an official said.

Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala on Sunday witnessed heavy rush of devotees on second day of annual two-month- long Mandala-Makaravilakku puja pilgrim season.

Devaswom board, which mans temples in state, has me elaborate arrangements to provide all possible amenities to devotees.

unprecedented floods in August last year h played havoc with pilgrim season with most of facilities for devotees being destroyed.

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