With the footfall of devotees increasing day by day at the renowned Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam, the Andhra Pradesh government is committed to enhancing the temple’s infrastructure and facilities to meet the needs of devotees for the next 100 years. Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath emphasised the matter during a review meeting on the temple’s development and master plan on Sunday.
The review meeting, held at the Mahamandapam on Indrakeeladri Hill, was chaired by Minister for Endowments Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. Temple Executive Officer Ramarao welcomed the dignitaries as per temple protocol before they had darshan of Kanaka Durga.
Temple officials presented a comprehensive overview of the master plan through a PowerPoint presentation. Discussions focused on leveraging the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme of the Central government to fund the temple’s development. The review addressed various aspects of the temple’s master plan, including infrastructure upgrades and better facilities for devotees.
Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy advised Endowment and Tourism officials to coordinate and swiftly submit a report to the Central government, detailing proposals for the PRASAD scheme. He highlighted that the report should include all necessary proposals to ensure the needs of devotees are met comprehensively.
MP Kesineni Sivanath gave several suggestions regarding the temple’s development and stressed the need for coordination between temple and Tourism officials to expedite proposals under the PRASAD scheme and secure central funding. He said that development efforts should focus on creating long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes. Suggesting inspiration from Tirumala’s facilities, he called for the construction of waiting halls and cottages for devotees at the temple. Addressing the media, MP Sivanath reiterated the commitment to secure Central funds for the temple’s development. He announced that weekly review meetings would be held to monitor progress. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) will also be prepared and presented to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for his guidance and approval. He assured his personal efforts to facilitate the funding process with the Central government while preserving the temple’s sanctity and reputation.
Endowments Commissioner S Satyanarayana, Endowments Chief Engineer GVR Shekar, temple engineers KVS Koteshwara Rao and T Vaikuntha Rao, Tourism Department engineers, Technical Committee member Panduranga Rao, and other officials were present.
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