SABARIMALA: The Sabarimala high-powered committee on master plan headed by Justice Siri Jagan will convene a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday to finalise the projects for implementation ahead of the 2018-19 pilgrimage season.
The meeting to be held at the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) headquarters will be attended by TDB president A Padmakumar, members K Raghavan and K P Sankaradas, Devaswom commissioner N Vasu and Devaswom chief engineer V Sankaran Potti. They will shortlist projects aimed at improving facilities during the upcoming pilgrimage season, Devaswom sources said.
Among the projects likely to come up for consideration are the Bailey bridge facelift and exit road for pilgrims after darsan. The meeting will discuss in detail the renovation of the exit road by replacing the current Bailey bridge with a new one to ensure the full utilisation as a one-way route for pilgrims to return after darsan, sources said. A new road at Pandithavalam, new toilet block and rectification of the sewage treatment plant will be the other works at Sannidhanam to be taken up at the meeting.
The meeting will review the progress of the ropeway project to transport the raw materials needed for prasadam production and emergency evacuation. The panel members will ask the contractor, Kolkata-based Damodar Ropeways, to make a presentation on the progress of the project implementation, sources said. The committee will take up the early implementation of the 5 million litres per day sewage treatment plant at Pampa. The members will hold discussions with the two shortlisted contractors to bring down the project cost.