Ministers call for temporary halt of all road work

Madurai: In an effort to prevent misuse of VIP passes during Thirukalyanam at Meenakshi Amman temple, the district administration has planned to introduce QR code-based VIP passes. IT minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said this at a multi-department review meeting held in Madurai along with commercial taxes minister P Moorthy on Sunday. He said the system will involve scanning QR passes at entry points to ensure better control and security.

PTR said that similar systems had been successfully implemented in Thiruvannamalai. He instructed city police to enforce zero parking on roads leading to Vaigai river a day before the event, citing problems caused by parked vehicles reducing road space last year.

The minister said all ongoing construction work by State Highways and corporation should be temporarily halted. Dangerous pits should be immediately closed to ensure safety of devotees. Meenakshi Amman temple and Kallazhagar temple administrations must provide live telecast feeds to any broadcaster interested in covering the events.

P Moorthy said HR & CE department must ensure that Kallazhagar idol stops at all designated mandagapadis, amid complaints that several were skipped last year due to time constraints. He suggested that two LED screens be installed near Alagar river entry point and Karuppanasamy temple near Alagar Kovil, where the Kallazhagar procession begins.

MP Su Venkatesan highlighted the need for pandhals (temporary shelters) to be erected till Aadi Veethi (outer streets) around the temple, as many devotees camp in the area overnight ahead of Thirukalyanam. He insisted that Government Rajaji Hospital maintain an emergency medical ward with doctors available 24x7 during festival days.

City police commissioner J Loganathan pointed out that several roads used for the temple processions were still in poor condition. He urged Madurai corporation and State Highways department to ensure at least temporary repairs before the event. The commissioner highlighted the importance of the ramps constructed on Vaigai river bank, which helped manage crowd flow efficiently last year.

Superintendent of police (SP) B K Arvind added that certain stretches of Alagar Kovil Road in rural areas are undergoing construction and called for immediate steps to either halt work temporarily or ensure that adequate safety precautions are taken.