The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Monday decided to budget for the Sabarimala pilgrimage season.
TDB president K. Jayakumar called the move a “quality change”. He said the Sabarimala pilgrimage season was rarely included in the budget. “There are no significant accounts to audit expenditure or revenue,” he said.
Mr. Jayakumar said TDB’s objective is to increase revenue while reducing expenditure. He said TDB plans to introduce a new tendering system for contractors. “The current contracting system is opaque. The new system specifically sets out the obligations of the TDB and contractual obligations of the board of directors, especially hoteliers and small shop owners,” he said.
Mr. Jayakumar said TDB will make Sabarimala clean, green, litter-free and pilgrim-friendly. Currently TDB hires workers from Tamil Nadu to keep the pilgrimage area clean. However, their work was limited to sweeping, he said.
TDB will insist that vendors meet their contractual obligations, including food safety, hygiene and health certification for their staff, especially cooks and waiters.
TDB would segregate waste at source. “We convert biodegradable waste into compost, burn litter and separate plastics for processing,” he said. Mr Jayakumar said more sewage treatment plants were on the horizon.
Published – 02 March 2026 18:26 IST
