SC panels oversaw key infrastructure projects in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though court interventions in the administrative affairs of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple left devotees frustrated, the Supreme Court-appointed panels that have overseen affairs since 2011 were able to carry out some major infrastructure work.
Long-pending demands for cleaning the Padmatheertham pond and repairing the sancta sanctorum were carried out by the panels under the supervision of the amicus curiae, Gopal Subramanyam.
Around Rs 75 crore worth of restoration work was taken up in the last eight years.
The incumbent committee, led by a district judge and with an IAS officer as executive officer, is overseeing development works, expected to cost Rs 63 crore, on the temple premises.
The four entrances to the temple are being spruced up. Overhead electric and telephone lines have given way to underground cables and underground ducts for water supply, sewage and rainwater flow through underground ducts are being built. Heritage-inspired ornamental lights will replace street lights in and around the premises.
The cleaning and conservation of the pond and 11 mandapams are also part of the swadesh darshan scheme.
Renovation of the main sreekovil roof and Sree Narasimhamoorthy sreekovil, installation of a new dhwaja sthambha of Thiruvambadi Sree Krishna Swamy and renovation of tantri madam, nambi madam were taken up in the last few years. The committee received 7kg of gold as donation for gold plating of the sreekovil. But the work is pending.
The most recent achievement of the committee was organizing the 56-day murajapam ritual from November 2019, which culminated with lakshadeepam on January 15. Murajapam is celebrated every six years at the temple.
V Ratheeshan, who took charge as executive officer in June 2017, initiated two schemes tulasi vanam project, whereby tulasi saplings are planted inside the temple and the same are offered to the deity, and the Rs 7 lakh second gaushala project.
Improving the amenities for the devotees, a virtual queue system was introduced which is temporarily stopped due to Covid-19 restrictions. A new crowd management system was introduced whereby senior citizens, disabled persons, etc, can have darsan through a separate entrance.
A 19-year-long claim relating to tasdik allowance and the receipt of Rs 1.67 crore from the Tamil Nadu government were also settled in November 2019.