Friday, February 7, 2025

No rift with EO, says TTD chief

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Condemning rumours circulating on social media about a rift between the TTD Chairman and Executive Officer (EO), TTD Chairman BR Naidu appealed to devotees not to believe in such false propaganda. Addressing a joint press conference at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Monday, he reassured devotees that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board and officials are working together cohesively for the betterment of devotees and the institution.
Speaking about the tragic incident on January 8, the Chairman described it as heart-wrenching and expressed grief over the mishap, which shocked people worldwide. He dismissed allegations that the incident was due to a lack of coordination between the TTD board and officials, stating, “We are moving forward with complete coordination and unity.”
He added, “Except for the unfortunate stampede, we made all arrangements to ensure devotees had a comfortable darshan through Vaikuntha Dwaram from January 10 to 19. Proper medical assistance was provided immediately, and ex gratia payments were distributed to affected individuals. Those who recovered were given hassle-free Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam and transported back home using TTD vehicles. The devotees appreciated the arrangements, who expressed gratitude to the Honourable CM of Andhra Pradesh and TTD.” However, he criticised certain social media platforms for spreading misinformation and hurting the sentiments of devotees.
TTD EO J Syamala Rao highlighted the many initiatives introduced over the past six months to improve the experience of pilgrims. “We have enhanced the quality of laddus, Annaprasadams, and ghee. Over 40,000 brokers were eliminated from online systems. Vision documents for master plans of Tirumala and Tiruchanoor are also underway,” he said. He emphasised that arrangements in Tirupati schools were made in consultation with the District Collector and SP, but crowd management falls under the purview of the police.
An ongoing investigation and judicial inquiry will determine the exact cause of the mishap.
Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary stated that an Institutional Audit was conducted to enhance transparency and identify technical and process-related issues. This has yielded positive results in areas like accommodation management, donor systems, and darshan arrangements. Expert recommendations on blockchain technology, queue line management through AI, solid waste management, and grievance redressal systems have been adopted.
He further noted that Annaprasadam distribution has increased significantly, with the daily count rising from 8,000 to 35,000 pilgrims in compartments. Waiting times for darshan have been reduced to 6-8 hours, and VIP break darshan is being completed within 3 hours. A feedback register has also been placed inside the temple to address devotees’ concerns.
Temple Dy EO Lokanatham and VGO Surendra were also present during the press meet.

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