THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high-powered meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to provide more facilities for women devotees reaching the hill shrine on the basis of the Supreme Court verdict. The meeting decided to provide more facilities to women at the Nilakkal base camp and other transit camps, apart from resting facilities for more than 10,000 devotees.
The meeting decided separate queues for women were not feasible, but there will be separate toilets and bathing areas for women. The toilets for women will be given a different colour. It has also been decided that halting of pilgrims at Sannidhanam will be restricted and, after darshan, the pilgrims should return to Pampa. This is to avoid heavy rush at Sannidhanam.
Increasing the duration of temple opening and pooja timings on account of the heavy rush will be decided after consultations with the Tantri. A Tirupati model digital facility will be implemented as part of crowd control. On implementing digital facilities, the exact number of pilgrims reaching the temple can be gauged in advance and this will be useful in arranging security measures. Wide publicity will be given in other states on digital facilities and on plastic ban at Sannidhanam.
The police will be in charge of crowd control at Sannidhanam and more policewomen will be deployed in view of the possibility of women arriving in large numbers. The high-powered meeting also decided to bring in women volunteers help women pilgrims. More lighting facilities will be installed on Sabarimala roads and those who are lost in the crowd will be located using modern technology. The meeting also decided to provide more CCTV cameras.
‘Include woman IG police officer in core committee’
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state to include a woman IG police officer in the core committee to be constituted for crowd management at Sabarimala. The court issued the order on the report filed by TDB seeking a directive to the state to constitute a core committee of officers with experience in crowd control.
High Court seeks updates from TDB
Kochi: The High Court on Monday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to inform it about the steps planned to implement the Supreme Court verdict. TDB standing counsel S Rajmohan submitted to the court that a general meeting of the board, on Wednesday, will discuss the issue.
TDB chief backtracks on review petition
T’Puram: Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar has backtracked from his stance on filing a review plea in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict. The change in stance comes after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed dissatisfaction over his statement.