Poor maintenance of Yatri Nivas in Srirangam irks pilgrims

Poor maintenance of Yatri Nivas, a budget-friendly accommodation for pilgrims visiting Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, has raised concern among the public.

The facility built at a cost of ₹47 crore on about 6.40 acres of land on Panchakarai Road in Srirangam was put into use in 2015 by then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. It has four dormitories, 95 rooms, 24 cottages, nine shops and a restaurant.

According to sources, the facility has a capacity to accommodate about 900 pilgrims. The tariff for the rooms in the facility, which is being run by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE), is considered to be cheap in the tourism industry. It continues to enjoy good patronage among visitors arriving from different parts of the country as they can get rooms ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,750.

But the pilgrims face inconvenience mainly due to poor maintenance. The accommodation that boasts of aesthetic look has suffered damage at various places. The pilgrims, who stayed in the facility, have expressed dismay over the neglected state of rooms, dormitories and cottages. They complain of dampness in the rooms with plasters and paint peeling off, and cracks on the walls. They have also flagged issues such as mould infestation and fungi.

“The rooms, cots, doors and toilets are in a neglected state. Plasters and paint on the walls have peeled off. We were allotted an air conditioned room. But, it was not in working condition. We were totally disappointed,” says R. Venkatesan of Chennai, who stayed in the facility a few days ago.

Another guest said the service was poor, which could be due to a shortage of staff members.

When contacted, Sivaramkumar, Joint Commissioner, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, told The Hindu that the facility continued to receive good patronage. The HR&CE and the Public Works Department had recently carried out a joint inspection to note down shortcomings. The PWD had prepared a proposal to carry out repairs and maintenance work at a cost of ₹1.7 crore.

The HR&CE would receive the proposal shortly. Steps would be taken to get the sanction for the proposal as early as possible, he said.