TDB under fire from employees’ union over Sabarimala road repair delay

The delay in repairing the Pampa-Chalakkayam road, a key access route to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, has triggered criticism from a section of the employees of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), with the Congress-backed union accusing the board of missing an opportunity to avert the traffic chaos that has left pilgrims stranded for hours during the monthly puja season.

The Travancore Devaswom Employees Front said the Public Works department was ready to repair the 4.5-km stretch, which falls under the board’s jurisdiction, if the road was handed over to it. The delay on the part of the board in granting permission, despite the government’s willingness to undertake the work, was a matter of serious concern, the union said in a statement.

The arrangement would have enabled the financially strained board to get the road repaired without spending its own funds, the union pointed out.

Traffic congestion

“The tendering process was reported on September 18, 2026, with work commencing in October. Had the repairs been completed while the temple remained closed, the traffic congestion during the Thulam month puja could have been avoided,’’ it said. The union also demanded an explanation from the board on the issue.

The criticism comes amid mounting political attacks over the hardships faced by pilgrims during successive monthly puja seasons. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has already launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led State government over the alleged lapses in preparations at Sabarimala. The State government, on its part, has expressed its dissatisfaction to the board over the delay in completing the preparatory works for the upcoming annual pilgrimage season at the temple, which begins next month.

Traffic gridlocks have persisted along the Pampa-Chalakkayam route since the temple opened for the monthly puja season on October 17, leaving thousands of devotees, including children and elderly women, stranded for hours.