Stamp out the ‘middlemen’ from the hills

Committee to probe black marketing of seva tickets
The system of issuing slips to be dispensed with
Tickets would be issued directly to the parties

Tirupati,may28

As part of its ongoing crackdown on the ‘dalari’ system that has spread its tentacles far and deep on the holy abode of Lord Venkateswara, The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to transfer all the employees working on Tirumala for two years at a stretch in the same cadre.

Headed by its chairman B. Karunakar Reddy, the TTD trust board met at Tirumala on Wednesday and took certain major decisions in tune with its policy to stamp out the ‘middlemen’ from the hills. The system of issuing slips for procuring cellar entry tickets will be dispensed with and instead the tickets would be issued directly to the parties. It has also been resolved to form a committee with the former Executive Officer P.V.R.K. Prasad and a retired IPS officer Anjaneya Reddy, to probe the black marketing of seva tickets.

The TTD’s Chief Vigilance & Security Officer B. Ramanakumar has been directed to investigate the charges of corruption in the TTD-run orthopaedic hospital, Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD).

With the fuming employees union issuing a strike notice in protest against the decision to initiate criminal action against the staff arrested on charges of black marketing, the management has apparently softened its stand by agreeing to the union’s demand for a departmental inquiry on the culprits.

It was also decided to regularise the services of temple kitchen workers at padmavati temple in tiruchanor, govindaraja swamy and kodandarama swamy temples in Tirupati, The services of pottu workers in Tirumala have already been regularised. TTD employees in Tirumala will be provided insurence under the Linked Health policy scheme.

The Board further agreed to increase the'sambhavanas' being given to pottu workers in kalyana venkateswara swamy temple in srinivasa Mangapuram and Chandramouleeswara temple in rishikesh from 3,075 to Rs 5,000 . The Board also decided to cancel the sulabh Complex contract qnd hand it over to locals.

Murky affair

However, the list of employees involved in the murky affair would be referred for further probe to a panel, which will be a mixed bag of top officials and employee leaders. Criminal action would be initiated on those found guilty of the serious charges. By involving the employees in the decision-making process, the management understandably seeks to identify the black sheep and as well steer clear of charges of ‘vindictive action’.

Security

To strengthen security on the hills, the board has resolved to do away with the system of hiring security staff on contract basis and instead request the State government to allot Special Protection Force (SPF) guards on a permanent basis.

Meal tokens

It has been resolved to rid the sacred hills of starvation by providing food to all the devotees.Keeping in view the increasing waiting time, the board has decided to provide meals tokens to all the devotees, irrespective of whether they had ‘darshan’ or not. A new ‘Annadanam’ complex would be constructed with Rs.15 crore donated by an anonymous devotee.

As part of spreading ‘Venkateswara cult’, the TTD has decided to build a Balaji temple at Rishikesh (Uttarakhand). Similarly, Rs.60 lakh and Rs.40 lakh per annum have been sanctioned to the TTD’s Pedda Jeeyar and Chinna Jeeyar for spreading the ‘Ramanuja cult’ and to perpetuate the ‘Paricharaka system’. Endowment Commissioner Sundar Kumar, Executive Officer K.V. Ramanachary, board members Ch. Bhaskar Reddy, T. Indira Reddy, Ch. Sudha, Janga Krishnamurthy, G. Ramaraju, Sudarshan Reddy, R.P. Goenka, Vijaysai Reddy, O.V. Ramana and N. Subramanyam, Special Officer (Tirumala) A.V.Dharma Reddy and Financial Advisor Anita Shah Akella were present.