Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy on Monday rejected allegations of favouring a select few companies with contracts relating to the construction of new temples with SriVani trust funds.
Taking strong exception to the allegations, Mr. Dharma Reddy said it was a conspiracy to malign the image of the famed religious institution and said that the management was ready to provide full details of the construction works undertaken with the trust funds and clarify doubts, if any, should any individual approach the TTD.
“Around nine lakh devotees have so far availed SriVani tickets and there is not a single complaint from any devotee against the system”A.V. Dharma ReddyTTD Executive Officer
There are four systems under which the TTD proceeds with construction of temples. While under the first system the TTD’s engineering department takes up the construction of the temples, the works are entrusted to the Endowments Department under the second system. In the third system, the temple committees bear the construction costs which are reimbursed in periodic instalments after verification. Under the fourth system, the works are entrusted to Samarasata Foundation which functions under a no profit-no loss module and has already constructed over 500 temples in the country, he said.
Expressing serious concern over the oft-repeated allegations of misutilisation of SriVani trust funds and alleged discrepancies in the issuance of tickets despite repeated clarifications, he said the management would welcome the formation of a ‘factfinding committee’ comprising senior journalists who would be invited to conduct an independent inquiry into the functioning of the SriVani Trust right from the acceptance of donations to the issuance of tickets, depositing of the money in bank accounts and the statement of accounts, as well as utilisation of funds for the construction/renovation of temples.
“Around nine lakh devotees have so far availed SriVani tickets and there is not a single complaint from any devotee against the system,” he said.
He said that the monthly quota of ₹300 Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets for the months of August and September will be enhanced to 15,000 tickets a day from the present 11,000 tickets. The full quota of 20,000 tickets will be restored from October.
