SABARIMALAI: Devaswom Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran said on Wednesday that pressure would be exerted on the Central Government to declare Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple as a national pilgrim centre.
Addressing a news conference at the Sannidhanam Devaswom Guest House, the Devaswom Minister said that the need to accord a national pilgrim centre status to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple was inevitable in view of the visit of crores of pilgrims across the country. He said that the authorities had taken the best possible measures to ensure basic facilities for the pilgrims.
For drinking water, the TDB had commissioned two water storage tanks at Pandithavalam with a capacity of 20 lakh litres capacity each. At Nilackal, the devaswom had commissioned a water storage tank with a capacity of 15 lakh litres.
For medicated water supply, the devaswom had appointed 200 temporary hands for the distribution of the water on the trekking path and on the queue path.
Adequate prasadam stock
A buffer stock of 26 lakh containers of aravana prasadam and five lakh packets of appam was available for distribution, the minister said. Devaswom Board president M Rajagoplan Nair, members V Sasi and K Sicily, ADGP Chandrasekharan, Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu and Special Commissioner M Rajendran Nair were present at the conference