The Travancore Devaswom Board, administrator of the Sabarimala temple, said it is willing to talk to anybody to find an amicable way of settling the contentious issues.

A Padmakumar, president, told newspersons here on Wednesday that he was hopeful of settling the issues. Interest of the devotees is paramount.

Padmakumar also expected the petition filed with the Supreme Court, seeking more time for implementingits September 28 verdict, to ‘bring good tidings.’ The verdict allowed women of all ages access to the shrine.

He criticised Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam’s claims of granting ₹92 crore to Sabarimala as utterly baseless and irresponsible. The actual amount sanctioned by the Centre is ₹6 crore, of which only ₹1.23 crore has been sanctioned.

Describing these claims as part of an orchestrated exercise to undermine temples in the State, he said all 1,258 temples under the Board’s administration will be impacted. The livelihood of its 12,000 employees is at stake.

Union Minister’s visit

Meanwhile, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan had to confront the police at the prohibitory orders-bound base camp of Nilackal, and had to travel in a bus to Pampa before undertaking the climb to the hill shrine.

Superintendent of Police in-charge Yatheesh Chandra informed the Minister that only Kerala Road Transport Corporation buses are allowed to ply on the route to Pampa and not private vehicles.

On being told that he, as Union Minister, could take his car to Pampa but not others, Radhakrishnan refused the concession in protest and chose to take a bus to travel to Pampa.

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