TIRUMALA: As many as 187 retired Indian Army personnel have been inducted into the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) security force, marking the first phase of a major initiative to safeguard temple wealth, strengthen surveillance, and manage crowds at the hill shrine visited by lakhs of devotees daily.
“Well-trained soldiers from the Indian Army who retired after 10-15 years have been inducted into TTD’s security force to enhance surveillance and crowd management,” said Chief Vigilance and Security Officer Murali Krishna. He noted that the recruitment was facilitated with the support of the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO).
The Trust Board had resolved to induct ex-servicemen during its February meeting. Following this, the CVSO approached Army officials and coordinated with AWPO, which specialises in providing second-career opportunities for retired personnel in banking, corporate and public sectors.
“A two-day exclusive training programme was completed at the Sri Venkateswara Training Academy (SVETA), and the induction was also completed on Thursday morning. They are now deployed at their respective places,” said Additional EO Ch Venkaiah Choudary.
He explained that the new recruits will merge with the existing vigilance wing to manage massive queues, collaborate with AI-based monitoring systems, and handle high-alert situations at the hill shrine.
TTD officials said the induction is part of a broader modernisation of its security framework, which includes advanced AI surveillance tools. While salary structures and contract details have not been disclosed, officials confirmed that the recruits are already on duty.
Deployment extends beyond Tirumala, with ex-servicemen also posted at TTD temples in Tirupati, Amaravati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad.