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No increase in rentals of cottages used by common pilgrims, insists TTD
TTD EO AV Dharma Reddy along with other officials speaks to media on increase in rentals of accommodation, at Tirumala on Thursday
- EO Dharma Reddy says rentals of only VIP cottages/rooms have been increased
- 5,000 cottages for common pilgrims renovated at a cost of Rs 120 cr
Tirumala: TTD executive officer A V Dharma Reddy termed the resentment on TTD increasing the accommodation charges of some of the cottages/rooms in Tirumala as the "vested interests' propaganda" to malign TTD management and urged the devotees not to be carried away by such campaign.
Maintaining that TTD has not increased the rentals of cottages meant for the common pilgrims, he said the increase effected by TTD recently was of the rentals of the VIP cottages/rooms in Tirumala.
At a press conference in Tirumala on Thursday, he said out of 7,500 rooms in Tirumala almost 75 per cent of rooms, i.e. 5,000 rooms have Rs 50-Rs 100 tariff, affordable to common pilgrim.
"We have spent Rs 120 crore to renovate them, including installing new geysers, furniture, flooring, doors and windows, giving a new look to them. Though the daily maintenance of each room is about Rs 200-Rs 250, we did not increase the rental of these rooms for the sake of common pilgrims," he explained, to drive home his point that the recent increase of charges for some of the cottage/rooms in VIP areas in no way affects the common pilgrims.
In addition to 5,000 rooms, there are four PACs (pilgrim amenities complexes) with a total capacity of 15,000 for pilgrims provided free of cost while one more PAC at a cost of Rs100 crore to accommodate 2,000 pilgrims is coming up, he said.
Explaining the reason behind the increase in the rentals of some of the cottages/rooms, Dharma Reddy said responding to the request of pilgrims, Special Type, SVRH, VVRH and Narayanagiri Rest Houses were renovated at a cost of Rs 8 crore to modernise all 172 rooms on par with Sri Padmavathi Rest House where the protocol VIPs and economically rich stay necessitating rental increase which is limited to these 172 rooms.
"The 'vested interests are misleading devotees with false information and sadly a section of the media with half-baked knowledge joined them," the EO said affirming that TTD priority is common devotees and doing it best to improve facilities, including accommodation, darshan, prasadam and free food in Tirumala. Senior officials were also present.
Replying to a question on the adverse remarks of a former TTD chairman on the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, Dharma Reddy said TTD after the approval of 32 Peethadhipathis had decided to increase the Dwara Darshanam days from two to 10 and also quoted the epics in support of 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshan.
Many Vaishnava temples, including the most revered Sri Rangam temple also open up the Vaikunta Dwaram for 10 days, he said adding that TTD was now able to provide Dwara Darshan to more number of pilgrims.
Later, the EO personally took the media persons to the renovated rest houses at SMC, Narayanagiri, SVRH areas, the rentals of which were steeply increased.
