Demonetisation effect: TTD goes cashless

Tirupati: The note ban proves to be an impetus for the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams to accelerate digitisation of spiritual activities at Tirumala, the abode of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, in collaboration with the IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

TCS has already extended its support to the TTD’s e-initiative in providing darshan tickets, including Divya darshan (Rs 300 tickets) and also Arjitha seva tickets (paid sevas).

In other words, the pilgrims availing online facility for darshan constitute about 33 per cent. The TTD aims to bring more number of pilgrims under online services in the near future.

The TCS has made the concept of `e-hundi’ a reality for the devotees to make offerings to the deity in a cashless form by way of ‘edonation’.

According to sources, the TTD is learnt to have vigorously pursued its online projects involving accommodation, darshan and prasadams so as to ensure transparency in the whole operations.

The TCS has volunteered to offer its technological support for the TTD’s digitisation project free of cost under CSR activity sometime back.

This gesture helps in promoting online services relating to the accommodation facility in a big way. Over 2,000 services are covered under this initiative.

With this, the TTD aims to ensure extension of e-accommodation facility by 25 percent by way of replacing manual bookings.

The initiative helps pilgrims book accommodation right from their native place with a clique of mouse.

Besides, all the caution deposit refund counters at Tirumala which are fully equipped with trained personnel also be converted as pilgrim services centres with an online facility.

Besides, e-PoS machines will also be installed for extending an array of services to the devotees on the hills.

The TTD in a drastic move dispense with the practice of collecting caution deposit for providing rooms (accommodation) to pilgrims.

The HoDs were asked to identify the areas where ePoS could be made available for a cashless transaction as part of TTD’s aggressive digitisation process.

Talking to The Hans India, TTD executive officer Dr Samabsiava Rao said that all sales counters of TTD publications both at Tirumala and in Tirupati at the foot of the hills were already equipped with ePoS devices while efforts are on to initiate similar measures for issuing of break darshan tickets through the bank soon in Tirumala.

Provision of accommodation facilities in all TTD counters, including in the massive pilgrim complexes in Srinivasam and Vishnu Nivasam with 2,000 rooms at Tirupati will also go online.