VIJAYAWADA: Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas has announced that Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram will be renovated with modern facilities to provide a comfortable darshan for pilgrims from across the country. An idol of the temple was vandalised by unidentified miscreants a few days ago.
Speaking to mediapersons on Monday after a high-level meeting with endowment department officials on the measures to be taken to prevent attacks on temples in the State and also on the consecration of Srirama idol at Ramatheertham temple, he said the endowments department would bear the entire cost of the renovation works.
“I discussed the issue with Agama advisors and sought advice from TTD over the renovation of the temple. Once a clear picture emerges, a decision will be taken in 2-3 days and construction work will commence immediately,” he said.
Stating that the issue is sensitive in nature, the minister appealed to the BJP leaders, who are planning to stage a protest at Ramatheertham on Tuesday, to withdraw the decision.
“It is a small place and I request the BJP leaders not to disturb peace in that region and create inconvenience to people,” he said. Stating that Sita Rama Temple in APSRTC bus station in Vijayawada, which was vandalised on Sunday, was constructed and managed by TNTUC, a frontal organisation of the TDP, the minister sought to know why Chandrababu Naidu failed to ask his men to ensure security in the temples managed by them.
He said in eight places, temples under the endowment department were vandalised and some culprits in those cases were apprehended. Police have registered 88 cases over attacks on temples, including those done by treasure hunters. A total 159 people were arrested and some of them were convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.
“At the time of the Antarvedi arson incident, the department mapped 57,584 temples and 3,618 were equipped with CCTV cameras (13,166 cameras). Later, 11,577 more temples were equipped with 39,076 CCTV cameras. Guidelines with regard to security have been formulated for temples under endowments department as well as private managements,” he said.
‘Temple politics for bypoll’
Asserting that temples demolished by the Naidu government in Vijayawada will be reconstructed, he accused TDP, BJP and Janasena of playing ‘temple’ politics with an eye on local elections and the Tirupati bypoll.