Centre cancels projects worth Rs 154 cr including Sivagiri pilgrimage circuit

Thiruvananthapuram: The central government has cancelled two tourism projects worth Rs 154 cr including Sivagiri pilgrimage circuit in Kerala. Another project is also a pilgrimage circuit which connects the places of worship from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram.

Swadesh Darshan division under the ministry of tourism has informed Kerala about the cancellation of the two projects. In the total fund of Rs 154 cr, Rs 69.47 cr was estimated for the Sivagiri project and Rs 85.23 cr was estimated for the other one.

Though the centre informed the state government regarding the cancellation of the two projects, the reason was not revealed yet.

Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust and Varkala MLA V Joy demanded the government to approve Sree Narayana Guru pilgrimage circuit project under Swadesh Darshan of the union ministry of tourism. The central government decided to implement the proposed project as the state government continued to pressurize for it.

Former union minister Alphons Kannanthanam laid the foundation stone for the Sivagiri pilgrimage circuit in February 2019.

The state government also offered all cooperation to implement the project. The project was planned by developing the Guru Deva centres like Sivagiri mutt, Kunnumpara Subrahmaniya Swami temple and Aruvippuram temple.

As the centre decided to scrap the tourism projects, the pilgrimage circuit by connecting all places of worship across the state also got cancelled.

Tourism department officials stated that the central government’s decision has given another setback to Kerala tourism which is almost under collapse due to COVID-19 outbreak.