The development works of six stopovers with added facilities for pilgrims on the way to Sabarimala is going on, Minister for Devaswoms and Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan told the Kerala Assembly on January 31 (Wednesday).
Replying to queries during Question Hour, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the stopovers are being developed at Nilakkal, Erumely, Chirangara, Chengannur, Kazhakuttam and Maniyankode with funds from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
He said that many of the developmental works depended on the Union government’s clearance for the use of Central reserve forest land in the area. The high-power committee appointed for the preparation of the master plan has not been able to make the expected progress. The government will hold meetings with the committee with a view to improving its functioning.
Misleading propaganda slammed
Mr. Radhakrishnan slammed alleged attempts to create apprehensions in the minds of devotees and disrupt the Sabarimala pilgrimage through fake and misleading propaganda on online platforms.
“There was an unprecedented rush of devotees this season, with more than 52 lakh people taking the pilgrimage. On some days, there were isolated issues due to a large number of devotees queueing up. However, fake news was spread and claims were made about things that never happened to wilfully create problems during the pilgrimage. When the government started taking action against those spreading misinformation, such attempts slowly died down,” he said.
Facility improvement
The Kerala government has set aside ₹30 crore this financial year (2023-2024) to improve the facilities at Sabarimala. In addition, various departments are spending crores of rupees for the purpose, he said.
