Move to privatise temple cottages invites public ire

Bhadrachalam: The authorities of the Bhadradri Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple have now embarked on a mission to privatise some of its services. However, the move is facing stiff resistance from the employees as well as devotees.

According to sources, the officials, as a first step towards providing services on contract to one or other private agency, have decided to call for tenders from contractors for maintenance of Rama Nilayam which consists of 100 rooms. The officials have decided to call for tenders and finalise them by Monday. 

The devotees, however, have expressed their resentment over the decision to outsource the maintenance of Ram Nilayam to a private agency. The Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Devastatam is known as Ayodhya in south.

Devotees come to the pilgrimage town from not only Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh but from neighbouring States as well. Devotess are angry over the poor maintenance of cottages and rooms in the temple town.

The historical temple is located in the Agency area of  Bhadrachalam in Kokthagudem district. People visit the place during weekends. The visitors are facing hardships because of poor maintenance of cottages and rooms under the control of the temple.

The devotees after offering prayers at the temple visit  Papikondalu. Devotees are forced to stay overnight in coal town as there is no proper acommodation in the temple town.      

There is stiff oppoisition to the move to privatise the maintenance of cottages. Believers have questioned the move on the ground that the Rama Nilayam has been built with donations given by industrialists and devotees. They resent the plans to commercialise temple premises. 

A devotee T Narasimha Rao said the cottages and rooms were built with donatations given by devotees and philanthropists. As such, the officials had no right to privatise the services, he said.

Temple Executive Officer K P Sriniva said tenders would be called soon inviting bidders from private agency for the maintenance of the Rama Nilayam. Donors can occupy the rooms 45 days per year free. This would continue even after privatisation was completed, he said.