Arrangements for Sivaratri reviewed

Kurnool: District Collector S Satyanarayana directed the officials concerned to provide basic facilities like drinking water, rest rooms and bathing ghats for devotees, who visit Srisailam for Maha Sivaratri festival. He reviewed the arrangements with officials at Srisailam on Wednesday, to be made for Sivaratri Brahmotsavams. 

The festival likely to be organised from February 6 to 16. Accompanied by District Superintendent of Police (SP) Gopinath Jetty, Joint Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh and other officials, the Collector has visited the Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy temple at Srisailam on Wednesday and inspected the temple premises. He directed the official to repair roads leading to temple town and also inside the temple.

He instructed the DM&HO to make arrangements to run medical camps at identified places for the benefit of those reaching the temple on foot. Satyanarayana has instructed the RTC Regional Manager to run additional buses which are fully fit for Brahmotsavams as more number of devotees are expected during those days. The Collector directed the civic officials to engage adequate staff to for up keep of sanitation and to attend for other issues.

Special arrangements should be made for the devotees, who will reach temple town by walking in the forest region, he stated, directing the officials concerned to prepare sufficient laddus as more number of devotees are expected for Sivaratri festival this year. 

The Collector also directed the temple authorities to suspend Abhisekham, Archana and Linga darshan during Brahmotsavams. District Superintendent of Police Gopinath Jetty said that security would be beefed up for the occasion deploying over 2,000 cops.

Special arrangements will be made for diversion of the traffic. A control room would be set up and a crime party would be pressed into service to ensure the safety of devotees. 

The officials were received by the Srisailam Temple Executive Officer (EO) Narayan Bharat Gupta. Earlier, the Collector and the SP inspected the temple premises, Mada streets, Chandravati Marriage Hall, circular road and the proposed parking places and issued necessary instructions to officials. Atmakur DSP SV Mahadeva Reddy, Kurnool RDO Hussain Saheb and other officials were present.