THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan told Kerala Kaumudi that he will check if there was any lapse in the coordination of arrangements in Sabarimala. The Minister and senior officials visited Erumely, Nilakkal, Pampa and Sannidhanam to assess the situation.

Q: There is a complaint that it is difficult to get darshan at Sabarimala temple.
A: There are only issues that arose from the overcrowding of pilgrims. The campaign that everything is messed up in Sabarimala is politically motivated. The protests related to this are not well-intentioned. The goal of such people is to separate people emotionally.

Q: There has been an increase in the number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala in contrast to the usual
A: More than 1.2 lakh people came to get darshan on December 7. Who does not know that it is not possible to allow the pilgrims to easily pass through the eighteenth step? The number of women and children visiting Sabarimala has increased by 30 percent. Apart from this, the sick, the elderly and the disabled are also coming. Can all of them be made to quickly pass through the eighteenth step? If the devotees are made to pass quickly, then some people will start alleging that the devotees are being dragged through the temple premises. Devotees cannot be controlled beyond a certain limit. They should also cooperate by understanding the limitations.

Q: Are there special arrangements for the days when there will be a heavy rush?
A: The rush increases during weekends. Children are being brought in large numbers during the holidays. We've reduced virtual queuing and spot booking to manage congestion. If spot booking is avoided, then some people will start questioning it. The government will take immediate action to resolve the issue.

Q: Isn't there an allegation that the number of policemen deployed in Sabarimala is less?
A: These are just political allegations. Sixteen thousand policemen were on duty last year. More policemen have been deployed this time. The allegation that the number of policemen deployed in Sabarimala has been reduced because of Nava Kerala Sadas is untrue.

Q: Didn't the lack of coordination of the departments lead to a lapse in Sabarimala?

A: We are checking it. If there is a problem, we will resolve it. My team team and I visited Erumely, Nilakkal, Pampa and Sannidhanam to assess this.

Q: Don't we need a permanent system?

A: There are space constraints in Pampa. Construction requires permission from the Forest Department. However, immediate steps will be taken to increase the facilities for the devotees at Nilakkal and Pampa.