SABARIMALA: Delivering a severe jolt to the free food distribution facility for the pilgrims at Sannidhanam, the Travancore Devaswom Board has slapped lakhs as compulsory donation on the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam.
The Travancore Devaswom Board charged `10,000 per day from the Samajam for delivering free food for a period of first 50 days and `1 lakh for four days from January 10 and `1 lakh as deposits for waste clearance.These measure will affect the humanitarian service and morale of the Samajam which offers free food.
TDB’s negative attitude with regard to Ayyappa Seva Samajam, which distributes free food to 30,000 pilgrims a day and to about 50,000 pilgrims during the peak days of the pilgrimage season, will affect the very functioning of the free food supply.
The samajam has been offering free service facility to lakhs of pilgrims by setting up 100 pilgrim transit camp not only in the state but also in the neighbouring states.
It seems that only Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam has to bear the brunt of the penalty. Other organisations like Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Samajam and Sree Bhoothanatha Trust have been exempted from the penalty.