FINANCIAL AIDS TO THE TEMPLES FROM SRIVANI TRUST FUNDS AS PER GUIDELINES- EO

TIRUMALA, 16 JULY 2023: The financial aid will be provided towards the renovation of old and construction of new temples from Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmana (SRIVANI) Trust of TTD as per the guidelines, asserted TTD EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy.

During the monthly Dial your EO programme held at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Sunday, the EO received feedback from 23 callers across the country. Some excerpts:

Pilgrim callers Sri Venkatesh from Chennai and Sri Srikanth from Manchiryala sought the TTD EO to renovate the temples in their respective areas which are under dilapidated condition. Answering the callers, the EO said the temple construction will be taken place from SRIVANI funds as per the guidelines after a team from TTD will visit their place for verification. 

Elaborating further, the EO said, TTD has commenced SRIVANI Trust in 2018. Linking of one-time VIP Break darshan to the donor who donates Rs.10,000 one person to the Trust has fetched nearly Rs.880 crores to the Trust besides curbing middlemen menace. Every single penny of the fund is being utilized to renovate and construct temples. The construction of new temples takes place in four ways, viz. through TTD, with the AP Endowments department, Village Committees and Samarasata Seva Foundation(SSF). But in recent times some vested interests are misleading the people that the SRIVANI funds are getting diverted and we are not issuing the donors correct receipts for the payments they made which is completely far from the truth. So far since 2019 about nine lakhs devotees have had darshan under SRIVANI Trust. We have not received a single complaint or mail from any of these devotees. I appeal to devotees not to fall prey to such baseless and false propaganda against TTD and SRIVANI funds. If you have any doubts you can obtain the details from TTD anytime", he reiterated.

Sri Sriram from Visakhapatnam suggested EO to send physically challenged and senior citizens separately to which EO replied after allowing Senior citizens the physically challenged pilgrims will be allowed for darshan henceforth. 

Sri Raju from Vanaparty informed EO that the Srivarimettu luggage delivery system needs to be streamlined on the lines of the Alipiri footpath route to which EO said, TTD has completely modernized the Luggage receiving and delivery system in a transparent manner and implemented in the Alipiri route in last month which is yielding good results. Very soon the same will be implemented in the Srivari Mettu footpath route also, he added.

Another devotee Sri Eswar Prasad from Irala brought to the notice of EO about the huge charges by an eatery located in the Srivarimettu footpath route to which EO said TTD will look into the possibility of introducing Annaprasadam in that area.

When Sri Madhu Kulkarni from Karnataka asked EO to extend the accommodation for two days the EO said there are only 7000 odd rooms in Tirumala while the pilgrim footfall is almost one lakh and it is not possible to provide rooms beyond 24 hours.

Sri Reddy from Rayachoti brought to the notice of EO about the menace of dalaris and beggars at Vishnu Nivasam near Tirupati Railway station in Tirupati and how they are misguiding the devotees. He also informed EO to display proper information boards at Vishnu Nivasam where Sarva Darshan tokens are issued. EO replied to the caller that the issues will be brought to the notice of District Administration as Tirupati Railway station falls under their jurisdiction and necessary information boards will be displayed at Vishnu Nivasam.

When Sri Ravi Kumar from Bengaluru asked the EO to find a way to avoid congestion near Bangaru Vakili, the EO replied that since one month only a single line is being operated from Maha Dwaram to Bangaru Vaikili to avoid congestion.

Smt Munilakshmi from Nellore while appreciating the pilgrim initiatives by TTD sought EO to release Rs.300 quota and later Virtual Sevas online to which EO replied it is not possible as the darshan quota will be made available only after Virtual Sevas are released.

Devotees Sri Pravin from Maharastra, Sri Venugopal from Hyderabad appreciated the SVBC programs and TTD initiatives.

JEOs Smt Sada Bhargavi, Sri Veerabrahmam, SVBC CEO Sri Shanmukh Kumar, CE Sri Nageswara Rao and some other HoDs were present.