A 5.2-km heritage walk corridor, restoration of Padmatheertham, six fort gates and fort walls, a tourist information centre, and creation of a host of infrastructure figure in the facilities to be created at a cost of Rs.76.26 crore in the precincts of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the capital.
Solar-powered lights, cloak rooms, waiting halls, bathing complex, drinking water fountain, bio-toilets, signages and last-mile connectivity are also to be set up with the funds made available under Swadesh Darshan — Integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits — launched by the Union Tourism Ministry in 2014-15.
Instalment of funds
The Union Tourism Ministry has sanctioned Rs.18.48 crore, the first instalment of the funds, for the project to be executed through the State-owned Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).
Minister for Tourism A.C. Moideen told The Hindu on Monday that the project, aimed at improving the temple infrastructure and ensuring hassle-free worship to the devotees, is to be executed in a time-bound manner and as per the norms of the Tourism Ministry within a period of 36 months.
At the East Nada, a tourist information centre, bio-toilets, drinking water facilities, bathing complex, stormwater drain, heritage walk footpath, waiting hall, cloak room, street lighting, bus stops, and signages are to be set up at a cost of Rs.30.27 crore.
The restoration of the Padmatheertham has got the highest amount of Rs.700.09 lakh.
Granite paving
Granite paving for the temple entrance and Nambi Nada, drinking water fountain, storm water drain, last-mile connectivity, electrical works, street lighting, signages and heritage walk footpath are to come up at the West Nada at a cost of Rs.10.63 crore.
At the North Nada, drinking water fountains, storm water drains, heritage walk footpath, signages, last-mile connectivity, closed-circuit televion cameras, and security system is to be set up for Rs.13.48 crore.
Solar panelling for Rs.549.36 lakh, drinking water fountains, bio-toilets, heritage wall protection, last mile connectivity, signages, restoration of fort gates and wall are to be created at the South Nada at a cost of Rs.21.86 crore.
The Tourism Ministry, in its order, also asked the State government to ensure that the project was implemented only in government land and to provide free access to disabled while creating infrastructure.
The Principal Secretary, Tourism, has been made the nodal officer and a monitoring committee has been set up under him to monitor the physical and financial progress and to submit quarterly reports.
The project is part of the Union Tourism Ministry’s Rs.92.44-crore spiritual circuit involving Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the capital, Sree Parthasarthy Temple, Aranmula, and the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The State had also got another Rs.99.72 crore for the Pathanamthitta-Gavi-Wagamon-Thekkady ecotourism circuit.
The restoration of the Padmatheertham has got the highest amount of
Rs.700.09 lakh.
