Sabarimala, a Special Security Zone

inShare

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala accompanied by Adoor Prakash, Revenue Minister; V.S. Sivakumar, Devaswom Minister; and Prayar Gopalakrishnan, Travancore Devaswom Board president; addressing a review meeting held at Pampa on Wednesday.

Employees asked to focus on security and cleanliness at the pilgrim centre

: The government has declared Sabarimala a Special Security Zone and the employees should give due care to security and cleanliness at the pilgrim centre, said Home Minister, Ramesh Chennithala.

The Minister, accompanied by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, Devaswom Minister V.S. Sivakumar, and Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, was reviewing arrangements made by various departments at Sabarimala as well as various base camps of Sabarimala pilgrims in connection with the ongoing annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Pampa on Thursday.

He said Sabarimala would be treated as the Special Security Zone from November 17 to January 20, 2016 and the police would be provided with special powers to ensure maximum possible security cover to the pilgrim centre.

Mr. Chennithala said 1,500 police personnel were being deployed at Sabarimala and a total of 4,000 cops have been kept ready for deployment at the pilgrim centre during the ongoing pilgrim season.

He said the Director General of Police, T.P. Senkumar, would inspect Pulmedu where a stampede tragedy was struck on the Makaravilakku day a few years ago for taking necessary steps to ensure adequate security to the pilgrims there during the Makaravilakku.

He said the functioning of various departments would be reviewed in every two days with a view to ensure smooth conduct of the annual pilgrim season when as many as the State’s population reportedly visit in a short span of two months at Sabarimala.

The Minister also lauded the initiatives taken by the District Collector S. Harikishore for keeping Sabarimala clean and hygienic.

Mr. Chennithala further called for extending the Punyam Poonkavanam project to more areas.

Mr. Sivakumar said the sewage treatment plant constructed at Sabarimala would be of great help in reducing pollution of river Pampa.