MADURAI : The Palani Dhandayudhapani Swamy Temple Devasthanam informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday that a work order was issued for nearly 12 master-plan works, worth Rs 99.98 crore, in the temple last month.
The Devasthanam’s joint commissioner stated this in a report filed before a bench of justices D Krishnakumar and R Vijayakumar in a batch of petitions, including a contempt petition, filed to remove encroachments on the temple’s ‘girivalam’ path (giriveedhi).
The development and improvement works include an upper and lower winch station, upper and lower rope car station, inner and outer pradhakshana mandapams, pilgrims’ accommodation blocks, an inner compound wall for the giriveedhi, Idumban Hill mandapam, a hair tonsure mandapam, a commercial panchamirtham shop, several arches and a bus stand.
The counsel appearing for the Devasthanam also stated three battery cars and a minibus are being operated on the giriveedhi for the benefit of devotees, as the entry of private vehicles into the giriveedhi was banned recently.
Steps are being taken to procure two more minibuses, the counsel added.
Since shop owners in Patta lands around the giriveedhi have expressed difficulty in accessing the path, the judges directed the court-appointed monitoring committee to inspect and submit its suggestion during the next hearing. The matter was adjourned to March 12.