TTD Trust Board meet : Only organic Naivedyam to Lord

Tirumala : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board which met here on Saturday took many important decisions regarding Tirumala development and also non-permanent employees' benefit.

Briefing media after the meeting, TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy said that the board resolved to set up a committee to go into the regularisation in a phased manner of all the eligible employees working in TTD as contract and outsourcing employees. This will be good news to more than 15,000 employees working as contract and outsourcing employees in various departments.

Another significant decision is to remove all the unauthorised shops in Tirumala within a week which is bound to create a flutter. Sources said there are 400-500 unauthorised shops, mostly in the areas where pilgrim movement is high for for free movement of pilgrims.

It also decided to use only organic grains and cereals for preparation of daily Naivedyam for Swamy Varu under Govinduniki Go Adharita Naivedyam programme on a full scale. The other decisions approved include launching SVBC Kannada and Hindi channels, SRIVANI Trust funds utilisation for construction and renovation of temples in backward areas and extending pilgrim allowance to retired pensioners of HDPP on par with TTD retired employees.

The meet expressed its nod for construction of 13 more Kalyana Mandapams and also resolved to invite Chief Minister for laying foundation stone to TTD children's hospital, to develop Anjanadri, near Akasaganga, the birth place of Hanuman in Tirumala and extending Garuda Varadhi from Kapilatheertham to Alipiri from TTD funds.

He said RTC will introduce electric buses to Tirumala soon and begin with 80 buses which will be operated for ferrying pilgrims while TTD also operate 20 electric buses for free transport for pilgrims on the hills.

Subba Reddy, whose two year term ends on Monday, took the occasion to thank Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving him the opportunity to serve as TTD chairman, board members, officials and employees for their cooperation.

He said he was able to make many decisions benefiting pilgrims including scrapping L1, L2 and L3 category for VIP Break Darshan System and making Tirumala plastic free.

To ward off the ill effects of Covid 19 pandemic, TTD has taken up several Spiritual programmes in the last 14 months which was telecast live by SVBC boosting confidence among devotees worldwide, he said adding that Gudiko Gomata a unique programmes taken up by the Board was a hit as it was implemented in over 100 temples across the country.

He further said to promote Sanatana Dharma and spiritualism, construction of Sri Venkateswara temples taken up from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, citing the TTD temple which is under construction in Majhin, near Jammu and added that the construction of the temples at Varanasi and Mumbai willalso be taken up once normalcy restored.