TIRUMALA: The income of TTD, through the sale of Darshan, Sheegra Darshan and Break Darshan tickets has dropped by `20 crore. Last year, it was `190 crore and now it was reduced to `170 crore.
According to an official release, the TTD Specified Authority approved `2,530.10 crore budget for 2015-16. Income from sale of human hair also decreased by `20 crore. It is said the drop of `20 crore in darshan ticket sales was due to the new policy. This loss also reflected in the revenue from sale of human hair. Last year, it was `220, and now it is only `200.
From this, it is deduced that at least 6.6 lakh less number of devotees had darshan of the Lord. The TTD estimates `215 crore income for in the coming year through the sale of various darshan tickets, reportedly by increasing the rates of darshan tickets or reintroducing current booking of `300 Sheeghra Darshan at Tirumala also in Tirupati.
The TTD, in the new budget, allocated `150 crore for new projects and `63 crore for maintenance. The Specified Authority also allotted `50 lakh for archaka welfare. Along with this, the Specified Authority has resolved to earmark `50 crore for the new fund proposed by the Government of AP recently for the salaries of dharmik staff. The new budget also made a provision of `62 crore for maintenance and development of the hospitals in Tirupati such as TTD hospitals, BIRRD, SVIMS, Sravanam and SV Ram Narayana Ruia Government hospital.