55 days to Sabarimala pilgrimage, BJP alleges lack of preparations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP national executive committee member Kummanam Rajasekharan has said that there should not be a situation where lakhs of devotees visiting Sabarimala are denied even the prasadam that is an important part of their faith. With only 55 days left for the Sabarimala pilgrimage season to begin, neither the Travancore Devaswom Board nor the state government has made any preparations, he alleged.

He said construction work for essential facilities such as road renovation, water supply and toilets has not yet begun. Although 10 lakh containers are required for two months of poojas, dismantling the factory without maintaining a buffer stock was a serious lapse, Kummanam said. He demanded the immediate removal of the Devaswom Board officials responsible for the situation and called for urgent measures to ramp up Aravana production to full capacity and put an end to the devotees' hardships.