KHAMMAM: While the posts of temple chairman and members of the Sree Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple trust board have been vacant since 2012, the change of government in the state has now led to some Congress leaders eyeing positions on the board.
The temple is renowned across the country and is often referred to as the Ayodhya of South India. It holds immense historical significance as it is believed to be where Lord Rama, Sita Devi, and Lord Laxmana lived during their exile, and where Ravana abducted Sita Devi from Parnasala, about 35 km from Bhadrachalam.
The temple generates an annual revenue of Rs 50 crore and attracts lakhs of devotees. Despite this, allegations have been made against the previous BRS government that it neglected the temple’s development, largely due to the absence of an active trust board.
The trust board, which existed until 2012, was not reappointed after its term ended. The BRS government, which came to power in 2014, did not prioritise the appointment of a new board.
In 2016, although the government invited applications for the trust board, no appointments were made. Former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao announced a Rs 100 crore development fund for the temple in 2016, but the funds are yet to be released.
Throughout the BRS tenure, many devotees, prominent individuals and BRS leaders sought positions on the trust board, but no appointments were made.
There is strong competition among leaders, businessmen, and prominent devotees for the slots. When temple officials were contacted, they confirmed that no orders had been received to start accepting applications.