Defying laws, they sell liquor atop Tirumala

​Tirumala: The TTD is failing to prevent smuggling of meat, gutka, liquor and other prohibited items on to the abode of Lord Balaji in spite of having three-pronged security setup.

Earlier, only the police used to oversee security here. But vigilance personnel were roped in to detect black marketing of seva tickets and deity’s prasadam –laddoos.

The vigilance authorities are required to keep a hawk eye on peddlers of prohibited items. But, the prohibited goods are available freely in Tirumala on account of the alleged dereliction to duty of vigilance staff.

At the Alipiri gate at the foot of the hill, the devotees are checked by the TTD staff along with the SCF personnel. The staff at the toll gate is accused of letting go the locals, RTC staff and employees leading to smuggling of the prohibited goods to Tirumala.

Recently, a sweeper with the RTC Dorasanamma was caught red-handed smuggling liquor and meat to the abode of Lord Balaji.

There is a security check at Alipiri, but no one checks anyone going to Tirumala by foot road. In the past, some devotees belonging to Odisha were caught red-handed smuggling dry fish and ghutka packets. This would give us an example of how lax is the security.

In a latest development, some persons were spotted consuming liquor near the priests’ quarters adjacent to the temple. The million dollar question is how it all happened in spite of tight security atop to Tirumala hills, which under the CCTV surveillance.