One Month Action Plan for Plastic Free Tirumala - Addl Eo

Tirumala, 12 Nov. 19: TTD has set rolling the TTD board decision of Plastic free Tirumala in three stages, said Additional EO Sri A V Dharma Reddy.

Addressing reporters after a meeting with all HODs at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Tuesday, the Additional EO said in the first phase within a week water bottle use will be banned in all TTD departments at Tirumala. The HoDs of the TTD have to generate a certificate to the effect that no plastic bottle is utilized in their office and only TTD Jalaprasadam water is to be utilized.

In the second stage, at all TTD rest houses, within 15 days there would be a mandatory advisory for devotees as they come to reception centers where they get room keys. 

In the third stage a meeting of all eateries and restaurants at Tirumala will be held to urge them not to use water bottles anymore and use only water from Jalaprasadams within fifteen days. 

If all these exercises are completed TTD will issue notices to the agencies that supply water bottles to Tirumala. Further on bringing of water bottles in all transport vehicles like cars and buses will be stopped at the Alipiri and water bottles will not be allowed at that point itself. 

Adding further he said, it is found that laddu free tokens in sarva darshan were being misused by unscrupulous elements hence a new procedure has been innovated and implemented. Laddu token with barcoded access cards will be issued which undergoes scanning for two times. If the laddu tokens are not scanned the data will not come on the screen at the laddu counters and no laddu will be issued. It will also put an end to the misuse of laddu tokens by middlemen.

On lockers allotment system in PACs, he said, the total process is streamlined.

Kasthubham, Panchajanyam, Nandakam, Vakula rest houses will all have a uniform room tariff at Rs.1000 per day with the provision of all amenities and securities. All the rooms have the same size and facilities in all the rest houses and a team of officers will be on regular rounds of inspections every day, he added.

He said the Deputy Conservator of Forest Sri Phanikumar Naidu and Garden Superintendent Sri Srinivasulu will inspect and develop all meridians in front of rest houses.

Incidentally, the GMR corporate group has come forward to take up the maintenance and up keep of the gardens in Tirumala and also the gardens in the rest houses etc. They will complete the first phase by November end, he added.