Facilities to Sabarimala pilgrims

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 11: Kerala Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told the State Assembly today that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had been taking all steps required to provide improved facilities to pilgrims to Sabarimala during the coming festival season beginning on November 17.

Replying to a Calling Attention motion by Mr Raju Abraham (CPI-M), he said the TDB, which administered the Sabarimala temple, would be providing facilities expecting a turnout of five crore pilgrims during the coming festival season as against three crore last year.

Mr Sudhakaran said all works connected with providing improved amenities to the pilgrims would be completed by the end of the month.

The Public Works Department had allotted Rs 15.5 crore for the immediate repair of all the 17 roads leading to Sabarimala.

Responding to another Calling Attention by Mr V K Ebrahim Kunju (IUML), Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran said a Rs 902 crore drainage scheme would be implemented as part of finding a soultion to the water-logging problem in the Kochi city.

He said the scheme would be implemented by clubbing it with the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. Another scheme for the cleaning of the canals in the Kochi Corporation area would also be taken up with Central assistance, he added.

UNI