Tirupati: TTD closes ghat roads, step up restrictions in the hill shrine

Tirupati: Following the nationwide lockdown to prevent and contain the spread of coronavirus disease, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Thursday closed the ghat roads baring entry to all vehicles on ghat roads except to the duty vehicles.

TTD initially restricted vehicle movements on the ghat roads by from 9.00 pm to 6.00 am due to closure of the Tirumala temple for darshan, since last Friday. Now it has completely closed down the ghat roads on both sides.

Following the centre imposing a total lock down in the country till April 14, the TTD also declared holiday for its employees and also streamlined the deployment of staff in Tirumala, to minimise the number of employees in Tirumala. The

number of TTD employees working in the hills which was about 3000 was brought down to less than 1,000 as part of reducing the work force in Tirumala.

Except the essential services like security, maintenance staff, health temple priests etc. the staff working in other departments like reception (cottage allotment), administration, tonsure centres, laddu production etc. were almost withdrawn by TTD.

This apart, TTD from Thursday onward decided to assign duty to the essential service employees also for a week. In the other words, the employees deputed to Tirumala have to stay there for a week on duty till another batch of employees replace them.

This is for the first time that the TTD to close ghat roads and also reduce the staff deployment to minimum in Tirumala.