The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Wednesday resolved to scrap away the ‘classifications’ in the VIP break darshan system with immediate effect.
TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy told media persons that the decision was taken with a serene intention to weed out corruption and attach more importance to ordinary pilgrims.
Under the proposed system, there would be no scope for any discrimination, and all VIPs would be treated equally except for those who fell under the protocol category. The shades of the old system, which was in vogue a decade back where VIPs were extended a uniform treatment, was bound to find a place under the new proposal but with required modifications so as to suit the present day requirements. The new system would come into force in a couple of days after updating the software. he said.
For the present, no limit of any kind had been imposed on the issuance of tickets and shall be totally left to the discretion of the TTD officers concerned. They shall take appropriate decisions on day to day basis, subject to turnout of pilgrims. This apart, the management was open to ideas such as the introduction of alternative systems in the darshan of the deity, provided they contributed to a faster darshan to common pilgrims, he said.
About two-and-a-half to three hours were currently wasted in facilitating just 3,500 to 5,000 VIPs every day. Unless the wasted time was tweaked down to at least half, no justice could be extended to ordinary pilgrims.
No Chairman office at Amavarati
Mr. Reddy stoutly ruled out setting up a camp office at the capital city of Amaravati. “I have never asked for any camp office, while so, how can anybody sanction it,” he asked.
“The construction of a temple is on at the capital city and all that I have asked is to set up an information centre on similar lines with those existing in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and other important cities. I will not waste even a single ‘pie’. Even the flight charges are borne by me personally. While so, how far is it fair on the part of Nara Lokesh to level baseless allegations against me? I have not gained a back door entry like him and his father N. Chandrababu Naidu. Ordinary pilgrims are my priority and shall always remain so,” he said.
