Active cooperation of the Forest Department is a must for executing various pilgrim amenity schemes at Sabarimala, says S. Siri Jagan, former judge of the Kerala High Court, who now heads the high-power committee constituted to oversee implementation of the Sabarimala master plan.
“The main thrust of the master plan is to minimise the crowding of pilgrims at the holy hillock of the Sannidhanam by developing base camps in the foothills and convenient queue complexes. Accommodation at the Sannidhanam has to be minimised. Pilgrims should be able to leave the Sannidhanam after a smooth darshan of the presiding deity,’’ Mr. Siri Jagan told The Hindu.
Needed: professional methodology
Mr. Siri Jagan said the committee would follow a consultative process and professional methodology for implementing various development projects forming part of the master plan. The Forest Department, he said, should avoid raising objections to the proposed tractor road and the Punyadarshanam complex the Chief Minister had launched. The Forest Minister and senior Forest Department officials were present on the occasion. Top officials were also present when the high-power committee approved these projects, he pointed out.
The Kerala High Court had in 2011 issued an order directing the Forest Department and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to conduct a joint survey at Sabarimala and demarcate the forestland allotted to the Travancore Devaswom Board. However, the court order is yet to be complied with, which seemed to suggest that the Forest Department was acting like a parallel government. The court has now directed Advocate Commissioner A.S.P. Kurup to supervise the joint survey in a time-bound manner so that there would not be any boundary dispute between the two major stakeholders, at least, in future, Mr. Siri Jagan said.
He said the high-power committee was for ensuring maximum possible pilgrim amenity at Sabarimala, Pampa and Nilackal on a permanent basis, without causing much harm to the forest environs. Stress would be given for developing Nilackal into a full-fledged pilgrims’ base camp, he added.