HC apprised of arrangements at Palani temple for Panguni Uthiram

The authorities of Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that arrangements were being made to provide vehicle parking for devotees for Panguni Uthiram festival.

The authorities told a Division Bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and R. Vijayakumar that the Palani Municipality agreed to permit the temple authorities to use 42 cents of land for the festival.

The court directed the temple authorities to use the land for providing twowheeler parking. The court was told that necessary steps were taken to provide lighting facilities and installing CCTV cameras along the girivalam path of the temple.

The temple authorities submitted that two batteryoperated cars sponsored by donors were now operational. The State submitted that as a regular protocol for the festival, 1,800 police personnel had been deployed to regulate traffic and maintain law and order.

In addition to this, 82 police personnel had been deployed as per the request of the temple authorities.

With regard to the acquisition of 58 acres of land near the temple for the purpose of providing additional facilities for devotees, the State submitted that it was awaiting the report from the Social Impact Assessment Authority and as soon as the report was received, a notification under Section 11(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 would be published and the acquisition proceedings completed by the end of May.

Taking note of the submissions, the court adjourned the hearing in the petitions seeking removal of encroachments from the girivalam path till March 26.