TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board has written a new chapter in progressive and devotee-centric governance. Under Chairman BR Naidu, the board has harmonised technological advancement with spiritual tradition by rolling out resolutions that address pilgrim safety, local welfare, infrastructure modernisation and institutional transparency.
The administration has created a positive narrative that stands as a model for public trust and management of a major religious site. At the heart of these reforms is empathy for the common pilgrim. For crowd management, the board is integrating AI systems to track queue dynamics, analyse density and optimise darshan schedules to cut waiting time.
To ease pressure on the hilltop, it has cleared a 29-acre township at Alipiri foothills for accommodation and amenities. For immediate relief, it will build permanent shelters for SSD token holders and has set aside `4.55 crore for high-hygiene toilet blocks in general queues. It has also introduced life insurance cover for devotees who die of natural causes in Tirumala.
Beyond Tirumala, the administration is focusing on global expansion and sustainability. An expert panel will draw up a master plan to spread Lord Venkateswara’s footprint across Indian metros and abroad.
A roadmap has been launched to upgrade historic sub-temples at Tiruchanoor, Vontimitta and Kapilatheertham. For resource independence, a 100-acre teak cultivation project has been cleared.
On the green front, an afforestation drive will raise cover from 68.14 percent to 80 percent in three years.
Transparency and protection of temple wealth have been prioritised. TTD will park all deposits only in nationalised banks, ending dependence on private entities. It has launched inspection frameworks to document the Lord’s ancient ornaments and jewellery.
It will reclaim misallocated lands and rename unnamed rest houses after mythological deities instead of donors. It has initiated legal action against commercial use of Govinda Namavali, banned political statements on the hills and deployed anti-drone cover over the temple complex.
The board has balanced reforms with welfare. It raised the annual budget for Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences by Rs 71 crore to fast-track oncology and children’s wings. For millions who eat Annaprasadam daily, it created an independent Food Safety Department.