‘No point of non-Hindus in TTD’: BR Naidu’s revamp plans include removing illegal constructions

Hyderabad: The newly appointed Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) chairman BR Naidu has multiple tasks on hand, and he is confident of doing them in a phased manner. One of the main tasks is removing non-Hindu employees.

Apart from the employee restructuring on religious lines, the TTD has announced measures ensuring darshan for lakhs of devotees at the famed Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple atop Tirumala in two or three hours using the latest technology, streamlining administration, removing illegal constructions atop Tirumala, protecting the sanctity of the temple and its surroundings among others.

Non-Hindu employees have to go

Naidu, who was chosen for the post on his request to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, asserted that non-Hindus would not be allowed to work in the TTD anymore.

“What is the point in having non-Hindus in the TTD? It’s not correct. I don’t know why and how they were appointed by the previous boards over the years. This cannot be allowed. We will discuss with them and try to provide an option to work in other organisations or give voluntary retirement,” he said.

‘Can’t compare TTD with Wakf Board’

Sources said most of the non-Hindus were appointed during the tenure of YS Rajasekhar Reddy as chief minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. Some have Hindu names but practice other religions.

Brushing aside the objections raised by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi over the removal of non-Hindus working in the TTD citing Centre's plan to include others in Wakf boards, he said Wakf Board cannot be compared with TTD.

“Wakf board is a real estate company. How can they compare it with Tirumala? The Government of India is planning to have local MLAs and MPs on the Wakf board to sort out land and other issues. They are public representatives. There is no question of people of other religions working in the TTD. I don’t know if it was done knowingly or if they have joined TTD claiming to be Hindus. Whatever has been done, I will try to rectify it. I have a list of names. TTD vigilance department is looking into this issue,” he said.

Stating that CM Chandrababu gave him a very challenging task, he said he had known the chief minister since 1978 and had varied experience in sports, art and culture and ran a community centre in BHEL as an employee and as a Telugu Desam activist. “This experience will help me in running TTD administration effectively,” the media baron said.

No scrapping of VIP darshan

However, he ruled out removing preferential treatment for VIPs including MPs and MLAs since they are busy and the time allotted to them is a fraction of the time given to pilgrims.

“VIP darshan too is important. It’s being provided over the years. It’s not possible to cancel now. We are also looking into the issue of honouring recommendation letters of Telangana MLAs and MPs. I have discussed this issue with deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan Garu who gave a positive response.”

“If I introduce a new rule to treat them on par with other pilgrims, I will lose my job,” he quipped light-heartedly to this correspondent.

Naidu is primarily focused on ensuring a trouble-free quick darshan for lakhs of devotees visiting the famed Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple atop Tirumala.

“I have been visiting Tirumala since childhood. I have a good knowledge of the system and the conditions. I have planned a system to ensure quick darshan for ordinary people who come from far and wide. I told this at a recent board meeting that steps have to be taken to ensure darshan for people in two to three hours. We will use the latest technology, AI (Artificial Intelligence), face scanning technology fix timing for darshan and so on,” he explained.

Religious declaration must for non-Hindus

Regarding TTD insisting former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy give a declaration, he said it has existed for a long time and a large number of people from other religions signed a declaration to have a darshan.

“We know about him. He doesn’t follow rules. Can anyone dare ask him to file a declaration before the darshan of Lord Venkateshwara Swami at Tirumala? When TTD insisted on the declaration, he avoided visiting the temple,” the TTD chief said.

Sting operation: Rs 300 ticket sold for Rs 3,300

Naidu defended TTD's decision to scrap the Tirumala darshan package with tourism agencies.

“Please remember, Tirumala is not a tourist place but a pilgrimage Centre of the highest order. There is a lot of corruption in the packages of tourist operators. We did a sting operation. We found Rs 300 ticket is sold for Rs 3,300 and the Rs 500 ticket for Rs 5,000. We did a sting operation in Ameerpet (Hyderabad). The video of the sting operation was given to the TTD vigilance department. We are taking action. There is no need for TTD to commercialise darshan and help brokers. This is leading to losing faith in Venkateshwara Swamy,” he said.

Pawan appreciates Tirumala Laddu

On the Tirumala Laddu controversy, he said that whatever has happened is in the past and the matter went before the Supreme Court. The present quality of laddus prepared by TTD is very good.

“I gave laddu to Pawan Kalyan (deputy chief minister). He commented that he was feeling the bygone smell and aura of Tirumala Laddu after a long time. He appreciated the present quality of the laddu,” he explained.

Unregistered assets donated by pilgrims

Regarding TTD movable and immovable assets, he said some devotees wrote documents in the name of the Lord and dropped them in hundi. “We have records and data of registered properties. Some properties are not registered. We will seek legal opinion on this.”

Mumtaz Hotel controversy and Devalokam project

The TTD chairman said the government had cancelled the lease to part 38 acres of government land to ‘Mumtaz Hotel’ belonging to the Oberoi group in Alipiri, on the foothills of Tirumala, following objections by locals.

CM Chandrababu Naidu had planned a dream project called Devalokam, a religious place with other entertainment facilities on that site in the past.

“It’s not TTD property but government land which was given to the tourism department by the previous government. A part of the land was given to the ‘Mumtaz Hotel,’ of the Oberoi group. There was a lot of objection from the locals. It was discussed in the board and enquired and we took a decision to take up the Devalokam project and requested the government to hand over the land to TTD. We wrote a letter to the government in this regard,” he explained.

No land, no private guest houses in future

Regarding the private guest houses atop the hill, he said the land for them was given in the past. “We cannot demolish it now. There is no land and no land will be given to such projects in future.”

Defending action against Sharada Peethadipathi's property atop Tirumala, he said the TTD gave 550 square yards but they had occupied 1,000 square yards. “The building is totally illegal and there is a 100 per cent deviation. Our engineering department inspected the site. The TTD Board has decided to cancel the lease and take over the land. There is no politics in it.”