TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is planning to supply free food to pilgrims at all the 10 closed Janatha canteens whose licences were cancelled on Friday.
The TTD officials have instructed the Annadanam Trust staff to check all the canteens at Tirumala on possibilities to supply free food to pilgrims from Annadanam. The TTD also instructed them to report on their needs and assistance for supply of food, including vehicles for transportation.
Following the decision, the Annadanam Canteen Deputy Executive Officer visited all the canteens and prepared a report to be submitted to the TTD EO.
After issuance of notices to hoteliers, the TTD Executive Officer has also instructed the Vigilance wing to take appropriate action on vacating the Janatha canteens and take over the premises. Based on this instruction, the Task Force led by the VGO of Tirumala along with engineers, health and electrical officials, visited all the 10 Janatha canteens on Sunday morning and vacated them.
‘Hunger is the only eligibility to enter the Anandanam canteen’ was the TTD motto for several years. Later, it established a mini-star hotel at Tirumala where lunch, a plate of idli and dosa cost `170, `45 and `65 respectively. “Based on the requests and demand by the pilgrims, we allowed the hotel at Tirumala,” said a TTD official. Due to lack of proper check on the canteens, the hoteliers increased the prices of food steeply.