The State government is planning to launch a mega temple-centred infrastructure development project soon.
Talking to The Hindu on Friday, Minister for Devaswom and Tourism Kadakampally Surendran said the ₹150-crore project, to be funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), would provide basic amenities to devotees visiting various temples in the State as well as Sabarimala pilgrims. The proposed amenity centres would follow a sustainable development model.
IOC, BP initiative
Mr. Surendran said the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum (BP) have expressed interests in undertaking temple-centric pilgrim amenity projects for ₹130 crore each. Pilgrim shelters, dormitory with Wi-Fi facility, professionally managed vegetarian restaurant, laundry area, and prepaid counters for booking puja and prasadom at Sabarimala and other temples managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board are the features of the two projects. A well-designed Annadanam hall and vehicle parking lots are the other facilities planned.
The government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the IOC for setting up three transit centres for Sabarimala pilgrims on the land attached to the Malabar Devaswom Board near the Tiruvangad Sri Rama temple in Thalassery, Kadampuzha Devi temple, and Nelliyodu Bhagavathy temple at Taliparamba.
The Minister said the ₹150-crore project for self-contained modern transit camps at select temple towns along National Highways and State Highways would be implemented with KIIFB support and completed in 18 months. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who suggested the idea of transit camps for Sabarimala pilgrims, is of the view that the facility could be kept open for public use when the Ayyappa temple remains close.
At Nilackal
Mr. Surendran said KIIFB fund of ₹40 crore would be spent for constructing a full-fledged transit camp at Nilackal. The project includes a pilgrim shelter, a water tank with 50,000-litre storage capacity, capacity augmentation of the existing weir, and construction of a biogas plant.
A sum of ₹10 crore each would be spent on constructing the proposed transit camps at Erumely, Keezhillom near Perumbavoor, Kazhakuttam, Chirangara near Chalakudy, Ponnani, and Kalpetta. A professional agency would be there for the proper upkeep of the transit centres.
Chief architect of the Chennai-based Pithavadiyan and Partners G.Mahesh said all transit centres would be designed as per the gold-standards of the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA).
K.M. Abraham, KIIFB CEO; K.R. Jyotilal, Principal Secretary, Devaswom; and N.Vasu, secretary of the Sabarimala Master Plan Infrastructure Fund Board; will officially sign the agreement of the project on September 26.