RENTALS ENHANCED IN VIP COTTAGE AREAS
EO URGES DEVOTEES NOT TO BELIEVE IN MALIGN PROPAGANDA OF VESTED INTERESTS
5000 COTTAGES FOR COMMON PILGRIMS RENOVATED AT Rs.120Cr
PAC 5 COMING UP AT Rs.100Cr FOR COMMON PILGRIMS
TIRUMALA, 12 JANUARY 2023: TTD EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy reiterated that TTD has not increased the rentals of cottages meant for the allotment to common pilgrims as mis-propagated by some vested interests with a bad intention to malign the reputation of the institution and throwing Srivari devotees in a state of confusion.
Briefing the media persons during a press conference held at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Thursday, the EO explained elaborately on the accommodation in Tirumala. He said, out of 7500 rooms in Tirumala almost 75% of rooms i.e.5000 rooms are between the tariffs of Rs.50, Rs.100 and so which are in the reach of a common pilgrim. “We have spent almost Rs.120cr to renovate all these rooms by installing new geysers, furniture, flooring, doors and windows, giving them entirely a new look. Though the maintenance on each one of these rooms is to the tune of Rs.200-Rs.250 on us, we have not increased their rentals. Apart from these minimal tariff rooms, there are four PACs which accommodates nearly 15000 pilgrims free of cost. Even during the previous Board Meeting, it has been decided to construct one more PAC at Rs.100 crore to accommodate another 2000 pilgrims with all free amenities”.
Adding further he said, “Upon the request of many pilgrims, we decided to give facelift to the Special Type, SVRH, VVRH and Narayanagiri Rest Houses and spent about Rs. 8crores to modernise 172 rooms on par with Sri Padmavathi Rest House where the protocol VIPs and economically rich will prefer to stay. To maintain a balance, we have increased the rentals of these 172 rooms alone since these cottages also fall under MBC and SPRH areas.
Without knowing the complete facts, some vested interests are misleading devotees with false information while a section of the media with half baked news is absolutely unfortunate. Giving priority to the common pilgrim, TTD has taken up many initiatives in recent times of which the renovation of rest houses is one of the most important tasks. For common devotees we have been offering free darshan, accommodation, tonsuring, prasadams, medical services, Annaprasadam, Jala Prasadam, transportation and on social front providing free education, free food in hostels, free medication etc. to the public also. But some vested interests are wanting to damage the image of TTD by spreading false news on media and social media. He sought the devotees not to believe such baseless rumours and urged the media to furnish the facts and unbiased reports.
Reacting to a query of a media person referred to the comment made by a former TTD Chairman that TTD has commercialised the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan by opening up for ten days, the EO said, TTD has taken the decision to open the Vaikuntha Dwaram for ten days after getting the consent from 32 Peethadhipathis. “Even our epic says that in Vaikuntha 40 minutes is equal to 10 days in Bhooloka. As many Sri Vaishnava temples including the most ancient Sri Rangam temple also opens up the Vaikuntha Dwaram for 10 days, we have decided to implement the same in Tirumala temple also with an aim to provide Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan to more number of pilgrims. We have cancelled VIP tickets during the period and issued even five lakh free tokens for the devotees in Tirupati and no point of commercialisation arises”, he maintained.
Later the EO personally took the media persons to all the renovated rest houses at SMC, Narayanagiri, SVRH areas.
JEOs Smt Sada Bhargavi, Sri Veerabrahmam, CVSO Sri Narasimha Kishore, CEO SVBC Sri Shanmukh Kumar, CE Sri Nageswara Rao, SE 2 Sri Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Reception Deputy EOs Sri Harindranath, Sri Bhaskar and other officials were also present.
