TDB open to Presidential visit

Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president N. Vasu has expressed the hope that President Ramnath Kovind will be visiting Sabarimala on January 6.

Mr. Vasu was addressing a Meet-the-Press programme at the Pathanamthitta Press Club on Wednesday afternoon. However, no final decision had been taken in this regard, he said.

Mr. Vasu said the Rashtrapati Bhavan had informed the State government that the President would be visiting Kerala and Lakshadweep between January 5 and 9 and no other official communication had been received in this regard as on Wednesday evening.

In a message sent to the State government, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan expressed the President’s wish to visit the temples at Guruvayur and Sabarimala as he was expected to reach Kochi en route to Lakshadweep on January 5, the TDB chief said.

He said both Nilackal and Paandithavalom had helicopter landing space. Considering the health condition of the President, travelling all the way from Nilackal to Sabarimala by road would be difficult, Mr. Vasu said.

He said the concrete slab atop the huge water tank at Paandithavalom had been cast with adequate strength, envisaging facility for emergency landing of helicopters for evacuation of people in the event of a stampede or the like alarming situation.

Mr. Vasu said the TDB would be greatly privileged to welcome the President at Sabarimala. He said, earlier, the authorities had constructed a helipad at Saramkuthi to provide helicopter landing facility for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi four decades ago.

But, the plan was abandoned following strong opposition against the move from certain quarters, he said.

However, the TDB saw no possibility of opposition towards the President’s visit in the prevailing political situation, he said. “The times have changed a lot and so is the case of certain tradition and practices too at Sabarimala. Though no motorised carriages are supposedly permitted to the Sannidhanam, two emergency ambulances have been taken to the holy hillock,’’ Mr. Vasu said.

Collector clarifies

Meanwhile, District Collector P.B. Noohu said he had directed the Public Works Department (Buildings division) and the TDB to verify the strength of the concrete slab atop the water tank at Paandithavalom that had been identified as a helicopter landing facility.

Mr. Noohu said he would forward the report submitted by the PWD to the government as soon as he received the same.