Fund delay by temple committee stalls Sholinghur rope car project

A project pending for more than three decades, rope cars were seen as the ideal solution to take the elderly, women and children devotees up the 750-foot-high hill on which the temple is located as it was felt that devotees would find it difficult to traverse the 1305 steps to reach the top.

While the government reportedly accepted to meet two thirds of the escalated project cost of Rs 10.50 crore, the remaining one third of the expenses was to be arranged by the seven-member thirupani committee headed by Bengaluru-based industrialist M Boopalan. Of the seven members, four are from Bengaluru while officials include the Vellore-based HR&CE Joint Commissioner and the temple’s executive officer. The other non-official member is Tamil Nadu Hotels Association president M Venkedasubbu.

Further, Sholinghur town officials said that related civil works like setting up of a car park, providing water and toilet facilities and laying roads were to be completed by the amount donated by the thirupani committee. “As they are yet to hand over the funds, work has not started on this segment,” a town official said.

Meanwhile, a senior Sholinghur temple official on condition of anonymity said the rope car project was 90 per cent complete and that it could become operational in 40 days. While the temple administration is overseeing the project, an official from the Sholinghur civic body who is in charge of related work, said, “Only when all work is completed will the project become operational as otherwise, we will face problems when numerous devotees turn up due to easy access to the hilltop by the rope car.”

Asked why handing over funds for the project was being delayed, Venkadasubbu said, “As officials wanted a master plan for the proposed infrastructure, we have engaged an architect who is working on it. We have provided the needed photographs of the area taken with a drone camera and expect the master plan to be ready in a month’s time.”