TIRUVANNAMALAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chaired a review meeting on Friday and inspected the facilities developed for devotees along the Girivalam route, ahead of the Thirukarthigai Deepam festival.
Nearly 40-50 lakh devotees are expected to attend the Maha Deepam event on December 22, with the government anticipating six lakh devotees for the Thirukarthigai Deepam procession on December 13, he told mediapersons.
Udhayanidhi, who is on a two-day visit to Tiruvannamalai district, said Chief Minister M K Stalin had directed him to conduct the field survey to review the necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival.
During the field visit, he inspected facilities developed along the Girivalam route, including a health complex, toilet facilities and a drinking water complex. He also planted saplings along the route, on behalf of the Highways Department.
Later, he chaired a meeting at the collectorate, during which the arrangements for the Thirukarthigai Deepam festival were reviewed. Key topics included the installation of permanent CCTV cameras at the Annamalaiyar Temple and areas along the route, food for devotees, traffic management, and safety measures.
Senior officials from various departments, including Rural Development, Highways, and Health, were present.
Ever since the DMK took charge, Udhaya said, several projects for devotees worth a total of `30 crore have been implemented in Tiruvannamalai, including potable water, pathways, and drainage systems; CCTV cameras were installed at several locations to strengthen security.
Further, he announced the installation of 400 portable toilets along the girivalam route, with designated officials to monitor them, and bus services for the devotees.
He outlined various initiatives totalling Rs 37 crore for the Tiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Temple, including archways, waiting halls, charitable housing, and social welfare centres, with works expected to get over in six months. Also, he assured the implementation of a permanent power supply to all the temple towers at Rs 5 crore.
In a response to the long-standing request for an elephant at the temple, Minister Sekar Babu said the forest department regulations do not permit the presence of an elephant at the temple.