Hyderabad: Devalaya Rakshana Samithi wants temples to feed the needy

Hyderabad: The Devalaya Rakshana Samithi (DRS) has requested government to utilise the 'Nityannadanam' programme of temples for feeding the poor during the lockdown in the State.

Samithi president K Sandeep Kumar said that major temples in the State have 'nitya annadana schemes'. In majority of the temples the annadanam programme is taken up with the help of interest received from the fixed deposits in the bank specially deposited for annadanam programme.

Presently, the temple authorities are taking up daily rituals as usual. "Since the devotees are not allowed inside the temples because of lockdown, the government can direct the temple authorities to cook food and distribute to the needy," said Sandeep Kumar.

He said that there will be no additional financial burden on the temple as the money spent is from the interest from the deposits and the temples have necessary machinery and staff and also hygienic atmosphere.

The Samithi said that if the temples can request donors by taking up online Seva and online darshans, they would be happy to feed people through temples.

The Samithi president opined that with the help of temples the social distancing can also be followed.

The major temples in Andhra Pradesh are serving the needy by distributing food packets. The TTD is proving food packets to about 50,000 people every day.