Date:16/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/16/stories/2008111659120100.htm

Front Page

Sabarimala: VS for coordination

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

— Photo: Leju Kamal

Taking stock: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurating a high-level review meeting on Sabarimala at Pampa on Saturday.

SABARIMALA: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has stressed the need for collective and coordinated efforts for the smooth management of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage. Mr. Achuthanandan was addressing a meeting of various department heads and Travancore Devaswom Board authorities at Pampa at the foothills of Sabarimala on Saturday. He said the high-power committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar and the TDB authorities had been functioning in close liaison. Extra care has been taken to improve sanitation, security and ‘prasadam’ distribution at the pilgrim centre.

The Chief Minister launched the Pampa River Basin Authority, a newly constituted statutory body for implementing Centrally sponsored river conservation project Pampa Action Plan (PAP), on the occasion.

He said lack of coordination among various government departments and the TDB was what delayed the project and there should not be any further delay in implementing its first phase.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran said the Authority was a pilot project and similar statutory authorities would be constituted for other rivers and lakes in the State. He said the first phase of the PAP, estimated to cost Rs.18 crore, would be completed in a time-bound manner.

Raman Srivastava, Director-General of Police, said the Home Department had made arrangements to maintain law and order and to control crowds at Sabarimala.

Law Minister M. Vijayakumar, holding additional charge of Health, said 1,200 Health Department staff, including doctors and paramedical staff, had been posted for Sabarimala.

Forest Minister Benoy Viswom spoke.. Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran presided over the review meet.

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Home Minister; Mons Joseph, Public Works Minister; Mathew T. Thomas, Transport Minister; C.K. Guptan, TDB president; C. Narayanan and P.K. Sumathikuttiamma, TDB members; K. Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary; and P.V. Nalinakshan Nair, Devaswom Commissioner; spoke.

The Water Resources Minister inaugurated a footbridge-cum-vented crossbar across the Pampa.