OMG! Yadagirigutta temple babus’ tepid response gets on cottage donors’ nerves

Hyderabad: The issue of providing cottages/rooms to the donors in the Sri Yadagirigutta Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple have been kept pending for the last two years as authorities failed to take a decision spending time on letters.

There were cottages/satrams on the temple premises in the past in the temple. These were helpful for the devotees to stay overnight during journey; they were brought up with the financial support from donors.

However, during the temple’s renovation the cottages were razed; now there is no provision for staying on the hills. The devotees are visiting the shrine, having darshan and leaving the town; a few who have to follow the tradition to spend a night are staying in hotels in the town.

The donors have been asking authorities to provide alternatives for their loss. Some had donated in their elders’ name and wanted the government to provide alternate land so that they can assist the government in constructing cottages.

The temple authorities, however, showed the presidential suits being constructed at the town and asked the donors to pay for them. Sandeep Raj (name changed) from a donor family, said his grandfathers had constructed rooms in memory of their forefathers. “Now there is no such facility. When we asked the authorities, they asked us to pay Rs 2.5 crore for each from the sites near the presidential suits. The government should first compensate and provide some relief so that donors who had cottages earlier could benefit,” he said. There were many from his community who want the government to take a decision soon.

The cottages’ donors will be provided rooms for 30 days in a year during their visit to the temple. They will have to inform temple authorities in advance to get rooms. With no facility to stay in the temple town the donors have asked officials to provide alternatives.

Sources say authorities told the donors that an alternative place at Peddagutta would be provided and wanted approval from the head office. The head office has asked the concerned executive officer to take a decision at his level. However, the authorities at Yadagirigutta are yet to take a decision, leaving the donors puzzled.

When The Hans India tried to reach the executive officer, he failed to respond to calls.