COIMBATORE: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department has been delaying the procurement of additional buses to operate on Marudhamalai Hills. HR&CE staff expressed concern that the officials are not prioritising the expansion of bus services, despite an announcement by Chief Minister MK Stalin in the Assembly a year ago.
Currently, there are three buses in operation, of which one undergoes frequent maintenance and repairs. As a result, staff are left to manage large crowds during festival days with limited buses, and are often forced to hire private buses with the help of donors. "If the department procures three additional buses that were already announced, it would benefit the public," said a staff requesting anonymity.
"Marudhamalai is known for its wild animal movement, and using the steps in the evening can pose serious risks to public safety. However, during festival days, many devotees use the steps even late in the evening, highlighting the urgent need for additional bus facilities. The temple authorities should take necessary steps to procure additional buses for Marudhamalai temple," the staff added.
Increasing the number of buses would not only enhance safety but also boost revenue, especially since four-wheelers are prohibited on the hill road. Considering the crowd and space constraints, the HR&CE department restricts the entry of four-wheelers on Marudhamalai Hills during festival days and sometimes even limits bikes, forcing devotees to rely on the steps or the temple-run buses.
The Marudhamalai Hills road spans 2.5 km and takes about five minutes to reach the top. With a seating capacity of 40, a single bus can transport around 65 people at a time. As the number of devotees visiting the temple continues to rise, around 80% of them require bus services.
"We can worship Lord Murugan within 30 minutes. However, due to the high demand for buses on peak days, what should take five minutes to travel often results in at least an hour of waiting," said N Velmurugan, who visits the temple from Singanallur every Tuesday for darshan.
According to sources, the chief minister announced three additional buses for Marudhamalai Hills during the Assembly in June 2024. Subsequently, the temple management trust passed a resolution to approve this initiative in October 2024. However, no progress has been made since.
As per government policy, a specific brand of buses (Ashok Leyland) is to be procured through the Government e Marketplace (GeM) based on approval from the HR&CE commissioner. This approval is given upon the resolution passed by the temple trust and the estimated costs quoted by temple authorities. After a process, the commissionerate will grant approval. In this case, the estimated cost for the three buses is around Rs 1.4 crore, and all necessary documents were submitted to the commissionerate several months ago. However, delays in follow-ups are holding up the procurement process, sources said.
If officials work on this matter consistently, the buses can be acquired within a month, the sources added.