TTD TO Provide Adhaar- Based Services to Enhance Transparency in Pilgrim Services

TTD is heading towards providing Aadhaar-based services to its devotees visiting Tirumala for enhancing transparency in Darshan, accommodation, laddus, Srivari Seva and obtained from the central government in the first level and a notification regarding the same from state government awaited, said TTD EO Sri J Syamala Rao.

Before taking up the calls during the monthly Dial your EO programme at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Friday, the EO informed the devotees who are watching the live phone in program across the world of many important decisions taken by TTD in the larger interests of the devotees in the last one month. He said, TTD has introduced rationalization of laddus to tokenless or ticketless devotees from August 29 with an aim to provide laddus to devotees in a transparent manner. 

As it was noticed that many Middlemen were involved in the black marketing of Laddus since the last few years, to curtail this menace and to ensure that the laddus reach the genuine pilgrims, TTD has decided to issue only Two laddus on production of Aadhaar Card to the devotees who are void of either Darshan token or ticket on payment basis. While the devotees with Darshan tokens are being provided with unlimited Laddus (Based on the availability of Stock) on payment basis besides one Free Laddu.

Besides many devotees, have been requesting devotees for quite some time to provide laddus at outside temples and also in all the TTD Information Centres located at Chennai, Bengaluru, Vellore. In the last four days we have distributed over 75000 laddus in these places and now contemplating to provide them laddus on a permanent basis.

Some other excerpts:

As per recommendations of the Committee of Cow Ghee Experts the existing tender conditions were revised to enhance the quality and aroma of ghee which influence the quality of Laddu Prasadam. An In-house Laboratory has also been mulled to verify the Sensory Parameters of the Ghee and the National Dairy Development Board has assured TTD of donating one Gas Chromatograph and an HPLC to TTD lab that costs around Rs.80 Lakh that will be set up by December-2024.

In order to improve the quality of Annaprasadam, a Committee was constituted to study the present procurement process including specification of commodities and suggest the measures on procurement of Dal, Sonamasuri Rice (slender variety) and other commodities like Cashew (whole and splits), Dry Grapes, Jaggery etc. The recommendations are being awaited.  

Similarly, a Committee to check the Quality of Organic materials procured for Nivedyams has also been constituted following the complaints from pilgrims on the taste of Srivari Annaprasadams which will be received soon.

Applying Tirunamam to the devotees at various places in Tirumala which was halted in the last a few years, will resume from September 6 onwards.

As the annual Srivari Brahmotsavams are scheduled from October 4 to 12, with Garuda Seva on October 8, arrangements are under process.

From the 1.05lakh SSD tokens per week which were given to the pilgrims three months ago, increased to 1.65lakh tokens per week now, for the benefit of common devotees.

Certain Short-term and Long-term plans to improve and strengthen Annaprasadam Trust have also been planned. An Expert Committee was constituted and based on the committee report, the modernisation of kitchens will be taken up in Tirumala.