PATHANAMTHITTA: It has been decided to depute temporary policemen to control the crowd at Sabarimala. With the beginning of the Mandalam season, there is a shortage of policemen to control the crowd. The decision to appoint temporary policemen was taken to solve this issue. The temporary police service will be available in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Idukki and Thrissur districts for two months at a daily wage of Rs.660.

It has been decided to appoint ex-servicemen, retired policemen, NCC cadets and women as temporary police. The government has approved the recommendation of the state police chief validating this. At present, 1250 policemen have been deployed in and around Sannidhanam. When there is an increase in the number of pilgrims, there will also be an increase in the number of policemen on duty. Meanwhile, more than ten thousand devotees flocked to Sabarimala on the first day of its opening.