Nearly three years after it was shelved, Punyam Poonkavanam, the Kerala Police’s flagship initiative to keep the Sabarimala pilgrimage zone clean, is set for a comeback.

In a significant development, the State Home Department has exonerated P. Vijayan, Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) and former nodal officer of the Punyam Poonkavanam project, of all allegations levelled against him in an inquiry into the scheme. The government has also instructed the official to revive and continue the project.

The decision comes shortly after the State government appointed Mr. Vijayan as the Chief Police Coordinator for the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season.

“Based on the inquiry conducted by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), an order is being issued clearing Shri P. Vijayan, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order), the former nodal officer of the Punyam Poonkavanam Project, of all the allegations stated in the inquiry report submitted by the then Chief Police Coordinator (Sabarimala), Additional Director General of Police, and granting permission to continue the Punyam Poonkavanam Project since it is an exemplary community initiative by the Kerala Police in Sabarimala,” the government order said.

Launched in 2011 as a community policing initiative, Punyam Poonkavanam sought to keep Sannidhanam, Pampa and the surrounding pilgrimage zone clean through the voluntary participation of devotees, the Travancore Devaswom Board and various stakeholders associated with the annual pilgrimage. Mr. Vijayan, who had spearheaded the initiative from its inception, was appointed its nodal officer by the Kerala High Court in 2015.

The project, however, ran into turbulence after the High Court initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner regarding allegations of fund collection by the coordinator of the Punyam Poonkavanam project at Erumeli. Acting on the court’s directions, the then Chief Police Coordinator for Sabarimala conducted a detailed inquiry into the scheme and submitted a report recommending further action by the State government. The report contained adverse findings against Mr. Vijayan.

Subsequently, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Vigilance) conducted a detailed hearing, examining the inquiry report, official records and the explanations submitted by Mr. Vijayan. The inquiry ultimately found no material to establish any misuse of authority, misconduct or mala fide action on the part of the former project coordinator.

While the inquiry was under way, the Travancore Devaswom Board launched Pavithram Sabarimala, a parallel cleanliness campaign implemented through its employees and members of the Vishuddhi Sena. The initiative effectively took over the sanitation drive in the pilgrimage zone following the shelving of the police-led project.

Founded under the supervision of Mr. Vijayan during his tenure as Police Special Officer at Sabarimala, Punyam Poonkavanam had evolved into a large volunteer movement before it was discontinued. At the time it was shelved, the initiative was operating through 1,869 centres across five southern States with the support of more than 10,000 volunteers. Several eminent personalities, including the Governor of Kerala and judges of the Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court, had associated themselves with the initiative. It was also recognised as a model project under the Union government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign.

Published - July 25, 2026 02:18 pm IST