Kochi: The state government has planned to create the maximum possible facilities at Sabarimala on the Tirupati model. The budget has proposed to spend Rs 739 crore on infrastructural facilities in the region. From setting up a 10-ML sewage treatment plant at Pampa to vehicle parking facility and ‘Viripandal’ at Nilackkal, the construction of all major projects will be taken up in the 2019-20 financial year.
A sum of Rs 200 crore has been allotted for upgradation of the road network alone. However, the minister claimed during his budget speech that there was a deliberate attempt by certain quarters to dissuade devotees from offering money at the temple.
"Unfortunately, some politicians masquerading as devotees are dissuading devotees from offering money and falsely propagating that the government is siphoning off the Sabarimala temple revenue to destabilise the devaswom board," he said.
He clarified that the government did not appropriate a single paisa from Sabarimala temple.
“The government won’t allow temporary revenue fall to affect the functioning of devaswom temples. An amount of Rs 100 crore was specially earmarked for TDB besides Rs 36 crore to Malabar and Kochi devaswoms,” he said.
