RAJAHMUNDRY:The endowments department has decided to privatise some aspects of the upkeep of the seven important (A-grade) temples in the state from September 1, according to endowments department deputy commissioner D Bramarambha.
Disclosing this to Express here Sunday, she said that a private company ‘Facilities Management Services’ had been chosen for the purpose. She said that the company would maintain sanitation and look after general house-keeping, including the care of electrical fixtures in the seven temples.
The deputy commissioner said that these works were being handed over to the private company as the present sanitation and house-keeping works undertaken by the respective temple managements were not up to the mark.
Bramarambha said that the temples where these works would be privatized were Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy temple - Srikalahasti, Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy temple - Srisailam, Sri Kanaka Durga temple - Vijayawada, Sri Siddi Vinayaka Swamy temple - Kanipakam, Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple - Dwaraka Tirumala, Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy temple - Annavaram and Sri Lakshmi Nrusihma Swamy temple -Simhachalam.
She said that at the Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Annavaram, the company would also be tasked with the cleaning of Satyanarayana Vrata Mandapams, cutting of vegetables, washing of kitchen utensils, suppy of food to pilgrims and cleaning of the Annadanam Hall.
The temple would pay Rs 3.24 cr a year to the company for its services throughout the year, she added.
The deputy commissioner said that Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala, Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple and Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple in Tirupati and Sri Padmavati Ammavari temple at Tiruchanoor were exempted from the privatisation of sanitation and other works, as they were managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD) - an autonomous body.
Brahmaramba said that the private company would recruit the necessary staff and purchase materials on its own. The respective temple managements would only supervise the company’s work but would not have any powers over it, she added.