TTD okays slew of benefits to employees

Tirumala: The TTD management bestowed heaps of benefits by hiking the wages of various categories of non-permanent employees. The TTD trust board headed by chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who is also the city MLA, at its meeting held here on Monday approved a steep hike in the wages of employees, including those working in the Kalyanakatta (tonsure centre), Potu (temple kitchen), Ugranam (temple store), Vahanam bearers, considering the two categories of employees as skilled workers, contract workers and also to provide additional financial support to Pedda Jeeyar and Chinna Jeeyar Mutts for providing job security to the staff, including religious staff in the two Mutts.

Accordingly, the salaries of Srivari Potu (temple kitchen) workers were increased by Rs 10,000, benefitting 350 workers, minimum wages of Rs 20,000 were announced to piece rate barbers at Kalyanakatta benefitting 250. Salaries were hiked to skilled contract workers in several departments to Rs 18,500 from Rs 15,000, to Rs 15,000 from Rs 12,000 for semi-skilled workers and to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,300 for unskilled workers.

Board also decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 60 lakhs to Pedda Jeeyar Mutt and Rs 40 lakhs to Chinna Jeeyar Mutt every year in addition to the existing financial assistance, for the benefit of the staff working in the mutts.

Tenders approved in the meeting included Rs 4.47 crore for building permanent queue lines at Gogarbham Dam Circle on Outer Ring Road, Rs 209 crore for construction of new rest houses Achyuta and Sripatham complexes in Tirumala, Rs 1.82 crore for repairs and development works in remaining cottages of HVC region in Tirumala, Rs 7.31 crore for construction of toilets, kitchen and footpath at Alipiri parking lot for the benefit of pilgrims coming from long distances.

Similarly, RS 7.24 crore tenders were approved for new parking lot in Alipiri, Rs 6.32 crore for a four-lane road from Sri Varaha Swamy Rest House to Outer Ring Road among others.

The board has decided to construct Venkateswara Swamy temple in 100 acres at Devgarh in Jharkhand in response to Jharkhand state government wrote a letter to AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The place already houses the most important shrine of Sri Vaidyanatha, one of 12 Jyoyitlingas and also one of the Shakti Peethams.

Board decided to sanction Rs 2 crore from Srivani trust funds for construction of prakaram, cut stone flooring, store room and Mandapam at Sri Moolasthana Yellamma temple in Chandragiri.

Upon the directions of CM, house sites are being distributed to all TTD employees. The first phase of distribution of house sites covering 3,518 employees will be on December 28 and second phase covering 1,500 employees in January first week, 2024.

Before the press briefing, the TTD chairman complimented EO AV Dharma Reddy and his team of officials, employees, board members for the incident-free and successful completion of Vaikuntadwara Darshan on Vaikunta Ekadasi and Dwadasi on December 23 and 24 respectively.

EO Dharma Reddy, board members, JEOs Sada Bhargavi and Veerabrahmam were present.