Call to Speed up Sabarimala Projects.

The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in streamlining the preparations for the coming Sabarimala pilgrimage season and timely completion of projects.

Talking to the Express, Sangham national vice-president D Vijaykumar said they had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, urging him to convene a meeting of various government departments, including PWD, Health, KSRTC, KSEB, Irrigation and the Pollution Control Board, to facilitate the completion of various projects by October-end.

Vijayakumar urged Chandy to direct the PWD authorities to avoid any delay in awarding the annual road maintenance contracts. Citing the delay in completion of maintenance work of important Sabarimala roads during the last season, he demanded a monitoring mechanism at districts-level and state-level to review the progress of works. Vijayakumar appealed the Transport Minister to deploy new RTC buses, including low-floor ones from important stations like Chengannur, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kottarakara and Erumely, to Sabarimala for the benefit of devotees.

He urged the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)to complete the work on annadanamandapams, which had come to a halt in 2014.

'For a permanent solution to the water shortage at Sannidhanam and to stop dependence on the Kerala Water Authority which pumps water from Pampa putting huge financial burden on the TDB, the Kunnar dam augmentation scheme should be implemented forthwith,' he said. Vijayakumar added the TDB should initiate measures immediately to find a long-term solution to the water scarcity at Nilackal pilgrim transit camp during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS