VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister and Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana said utmost priority will be given to the common public and efforts are being made to provide hassle-free darshan to devotees visiting Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) during Dasara celebrations scheduled from September 26.
The Deputy CM and Endowments, police and NTR district officials conducted a preliminary inspection atop Indrakeeladri and downhill for Dasara festivities. They also conducted the trial run of allowing VIPs through lifts at Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam on Friday.
After inspection of the works, the Minister expressed happiness over the works and said over 10 lakh devotees are expected to visit the temple during Dasara as the festival will be celebrated on a grand note after two years of the Covid pandemic.
Stating that the State government and Endowments department are giving top priority to the common public, Kottu said instructions were given to the temple authorities to increase the number of queue lines on ghat road to five from three.
“Earlier, half of the ghat road was used for queue lines and free flow of emergency vehicles and VIP vehicles. But now, we are going to add two more queue lines in order to facilitate and allow more devotees inside the temple. For VIPs, an alternate route is being prepared through Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam. However, the decision is yet to be finalised,” the deputy CM said.
He further said Rs 5 crore will be spent on the celebrations and a special portal or slot system to book advance darshan tickets for VIPs and other guests visiting the temple is under consideration.
“For the time being, we have stopped Antaralaya darshanam. An exercise is on to find an undisputed way to allow VIPs with reference and recommendation letters from ministers, MLAs and MPs,” he added.
District collector Dilli Rao, Commissioner of Police Kanthi Rana Tata, Endowments Commissioner Hari Jawaharlal, and temple EO Darbamulla Bramarambha were present.