CM asks officers to develop Saundatti temple town as tourist attraction

The government is committed to developing the temple which sees the highest footfall in the State, he says

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked officials to develop the temple town of Saundatti Yallamma as a tourist attraction of significance.

He was speaking at a meeting of Ministers and officers at Saundatti on Sunday.

He asked them to put in place a system that works transparently and efficiently to ensure that all devotees who come to the temple get a chance to get darshan without any hassles.

“This should be taken up on priority,” he said.

“This is important because the pilgrimage and tourist centre is one with the highest footfall of 1.5 crore-2 crore people per year. And, this number keeps growing every year. Pilgrims are not only from Karnataka but several other States also,” he said.

“The temple town should not only be clean but also beautiful and attractive. The better the facilities are the better the income of the temple and the town will be,” he added.

“All efforts should be made to create a healthy and hygienic environment in the temple and the town. We should see that visitors do not suffer from any illness or contract infections through water or polluted surroundings. We should provide them with clean toilets, pure drinking water, uninterrupted power supply and neat boarding on the lines of the Tirupati-Tirumala temple complex,” he said.

“Street lights and electricity should be provided on the way to the temple where devotees come and in the surrounding areas and also, where devotees stay. A feasibility study should be taken up to see if we can have a ropeway tram in Saundatti,” the Chief Minister said.

“Most of the visitors are poor and from deprived classes. They are labour and women from the working classes. It is our responsibility to provide them better facilities. A large number of devotees arrive in bullock carts and arrangements should be made for the, to park their carts and take care of bullocks, along with parking for cars and motorbikes. A facility should be created to provide fodder, water and shade for animals,” he said. He then asked officers to prepare and submit a work plan to the State government towards this end.

“Revenue and endowment officials should identify land belonging to the temple. It should be protected with a compound wall. A system to set up a Dasoha system to provide clean and healthy meals to devotees should be developed. The number of visitors is very high and it involves logistics and prior arrangements for providing food to such large numbers. But we should be prepared,” he said.

“A scientific waste disposal system should be set up in the temple,” he instructed the officers.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, Endowments Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Public Works and district in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, MLAs, including Vishwa Vaidya, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan and other officers were present.

Published - October 13, 2024 07:27 pm IST