Steps taken to provide basic amenities: CM

Addressing the review meeting on the Sabarimala arrangements for the pilgrimage season at Pampa Devaswom Annadanamandapam on Monday, the Chief Minister said that the Travancore Devaswom Board and other Government Departments had taken measures to provide basic facilities to pilgrims who come for darsan at Sabarimala temple. However, Achuthanandan felt the need for improved basic facilities for the pilgrims, the majority belonging to neighbouring states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Road repair works completed

PWD Minister M Vijayakumar said that the Department could be able to complete the repair works of all major  Sabarimala roads in spite of unfavourable climatic conditions consequent on unsual rains.

Vijayakumar said that the Government had sanctioned `9 crore for the maintenance of Sabarimala connected roads. He said that the works under the scheme would be completed in month. Measures are underway for brining important Sabarimala  roads under heavy maintenance scheme and a high-level meet on the scheme will be held in December, the Minister said.

Healthcare facilities

Health Minister P K Sreemathi said that arrangements had been completed to providing medical facilities for the pilgrims during the season. Postings of adequate number of doctors, including specialists, were already made at different hospitals, including Pampa, Neelimala, Appachimedu and Sannidhanam, she said.

“Sufficient quantities of medicines were made available to the hospitals,” the Minister said. “For providing medical facilities at Pathanamthitta, Kozhenchery and Ranni, adequate number of doctors and modern facilities such as CT Scan equipment were made available,” she added.

KSRTC special schedules

Transport Minister Jose Thettyil said that the KSRTC had taken all arrangements for the operation of Sabarimala special service. In all 175 buses were made available at Pampa for the operation of Pampa-Nilackal and long route schedules, the Minister said.

`50 lakh facilities at Pampa

The Corporation spent Rs 50 lakh for modernising Pampa bus station, including bus bay and other facilities, he said.

In addition to the special Pampa schedules from Kottayam and Chengannur railway stations, the RTC would operate special schedule from Tiruvalla railway station , the Minister said. Devaswom Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran presided over the meeting. MLAs Raju Abraham, K Sivadasan Nair, K C Rajagoplan and Joseph M Puthussery, Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar, DGP Jacob Punnoose, Travancore Devasom Board president M Rajagopalan Nair, members V Sasi and K Sicily, devaswom commissioner N Vasu, ADGP Chandrasekharan, district panchayat president Babu George, district collector S Lalithambika, district cooperative bank president R Sanalkumar and department heads were among those who attended the meeting.