VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to ensure that there should be 100% improvement in the services and facilities provided to pilgrims, and that every programme and decision should be aimed only at upholding the sanctity of the world famous temple, and the sentiments of devotees.
Chairing a review meeting of the TTD at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, Naidu took stock of the steps being taken to meet the ever increasing number of pilgrims.
After going through a presentation given by the TTD officials on the steps taken in the past nine months to improve the pilgrim services, Naidu discussed the measures to be initiated to meet the increasing number of devotees.
Maintaining that the reputation of the State totally depends on the services provided atop Tirumala hills and inside the temple, he felt that the change is clearly visible now. “But this change should be 100%, and only then we can meet the expectations of devotees and the common public,” Naidu said.
The TTD should be redesigned to meet the increasing rush of pilgrims by the day for another 50 years, the Chief Minister asked the officials to take up only the works that needed the most. “The funds of the Lord should not be spent at will. We are only trustees of the temple, and our role is very nominal,” he remarked.
Making it clear that no one has the right to spend the Hundi collection and other donations of pilgrims to the Lord at will, Naidu said not even a single rupee of the Lord of Seven Hills should be misused.
The TTD has been spending hundreds of crores of funds for various programmes. Hence, it is better to conduct auditing with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) along with internal auditing on the TTD expenses, he felt.
“Several changes have taken place in the recent days in the TTD as I promised before the elections that I would undertake a total cleansing operation. But these changes should be 100%, and nowhere the persons holding the positions earlier should continue, and all the TTD wings should be completely streamlined,” he asserted.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that a base camp is being constructed at Alipiri for devotees to provide all kinds of facilities. They also explained in detail the ongoing construction of 60 associated temples outside the State.
When the officials informed the Chief Minister that 25,000 pilgrims have darshan of Goddess Padmavathi Ammavaru at Tiruchanur on daily basis, Naidu told them to further improve the facilities for devotees. He announced that the appointment of Joint Executive Officer of the TTD, Chief Vigilance and Security Officer and Chairman of SVBC will be taken up very soon.
He instructed the officials to immediately take steps to launch WhatsApp services to pilgrims, and that all the services should be linked to Aadhaar and cell phone numbers to prevent any kind of irregularities. Also, the Chief Minister told the officials to focus on sanitary works, and increase the greenery to 80% from the present 68.14%. The officials also explained the improvements made in the past nine months in Srivari Laddu Prasadam and Anna Prasadam.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, TTD Chairman BR Naidu, Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao, Additional EO Venkaiah Chowdary, Tirupati SP V Harshavardhan Raju and other TTD officials participated in the meeting.