TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is seriously contemplating a fresh increase in the salaries and wages of barbers working at the Kalyana Katta in Tirumala very soon.
Speaking to TNIE, TTD Executive Officer Muddada Ravi Chandra stated that the administration has taken every aspect—including worker grievances, long-standing suggestions, and the overall State of affairs over the years—into account and will announce a concrete decision shortly.
The proposed financial review comes as part of a major administrative overhaul, with the TTD EO identifying four crucial sectors for immediate reform: temple administration, queue line management, food and prasadams, and tonsure operations.
Following a comprehensive evaluation of decades of feedback from devotees and workers alike, TTD is putting strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place, with targeted reforms aimed at streamlining operations for the millions of pilgrims who offer their hair at Tirumala.
Currently, TTD deploys a workforce of 1,152 active barbers—supported by 20 regular supervisors, 3 assistants, and 46 support staff—operating across one main Kalyana Katta and 11 mini-centres around Tirumala.
The operational strength includes an increasing presence of female barbers (ranging between 220 and 269) to cater to women, children, and infants. While 337 barbers hold permanent posts (336 men and 1 woman), the bulk of the operation relies on 852 piece-rate contract workers (639 men and 213 women) working round-the-clock across three shifts.
The upcoming wage revision will build on previous policy shifts by the TTD Trust Board, which moved contract barbers away from a purely per-head piece-rate metric (Rs 11 per tonsure and Rs 4 for scissor assignments) to a mandatory minimum wage of Rs 20,000 per month.
Contract staff also receive welfare benefits such as the annual Brahmotsavam Bahumanam of Rs 6,850 and house site allocations.