Minister Kottu urges to improve Simhachalam amenities

Visakhapatnam: Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana clarified that it is the responsibility of the employees to ensure that there is no inconvenience caused to the devotees visiting Simhachalam Devasthanam. Holding a meeting with the Devasthanam officials and employees at Krishnapuram Goshala here on Thursday, the minister underlined that negligence would not be tolerated. Heads of the respective departments would be made responsible if any lapses were found in the temple administration, he added.

The minister stated that even if there is a mistake among the lower level staff, the officials would be suspended. He suggested them to take the responsibility of monitoring at the field level. The minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the stair-route (metla margam) and sanitation maintenance at the Devasthanam premises. The Endowments Minister observed bad condition of the ghat road during his journey and expressed anger over the engineering officials' failure.

During the meeting, Bheemunipatnam MLA M Srinivasa Rao and Pendurthi MLA A Adeep Raj expressed their views. MLA Adeep Raj stressed on the involvement of temple development and pointed out that the MLAs were not given proper information about the temple programmes. Further, a detailed discussion was held on the temple lands. Satyanarayana mentioned that a number of complaints were received about Devasthanam lands.

He made it clear that the officials would be held responsible if the temple lands are encroached. The minister questioned how the lands could be occupied and modified without the involvement of the temple authorities. The Endowments Minister said that encroachments and illegal constructions are increasing in the garb of court orders. He directed the officials to file counters in the courts on time.