SABARIMALA: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said he will seek Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s intervention for setting up Bailey bridges over Pampa before the annual pilgrimage season starts in November. After visiting Pampa-Triveni for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused to Pampa, Chennithala said he will contact Sitharaman on Friday to expedite the building of Bailey bridges as the lone bridge will not be sufficient to meet the flow of pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage.
He said the state government must officially write to the Defence Ministry to seek Sitharaman’s intervention. He said the government should sanction adequate funds to rejuvenate Pampa immediately.
“With only one-and-half-month left for the annual pilgrimage, the government should sanction funds for improving basic facilities for pilgrims at Pampa,” he said. The Travancore Devaswom Board alone may not be able to generate the fund needed to implement necessary projects, he added.
He blamed KSEB for the devastation of Pampa-Triveni and river diversion and said lack of coordination among departments affected the reconstruction of Pampa. He said Irrigation Department and the Kerala Water Authority are to be blamed for the delay in the rejuvenation of river Pampa and implementation of projects to help pilgrims.