TTD vigil fails to deter flow of alcohol in Tirumala hills

TTD vigil fails to deter flow of alcohol in Tirumala hills
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Highlights

Once again it was proved TTD vigilance checks at Alipiri and GNC tollgate are not foolproof in Tirumala hill shrine. The excise police of Tirumala seized 20 bottles of liquor, an item prohibited at the hill station. As per the government orders at hill shrine alcohol -related items gutka and tobacco items usage has been prohibited since 1950s to maintain the holiness of the hill shrine.

Tirupati: Once again it was proved TTD vigilance checks at Alipiri and GNC tollgate are not foolproof in Tirumala hill shrine. The excise police of Tirumala seized 20 bottles of liquor, an item prohibited at the hill station. As per the government orders at hill shrine alcohol -related items gutka and tobacco items usage has been prohibited since 1950s to maintain the holiness of the hill shrine.

Highlights:

  • Excise police conducted consecutive raids for two days in hill shrine
  • Seize 20 bottles of liquor, arrest six denizens of Tirumala
  • Once again proves TTD vigilance checks at Alipiri, GNC toll gates are not foolproof

Lack of coordinationus places in Tirumala. In this regard, especially in security aspects of hill station for checking of pilgrims’’ vehicles, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam had deployed special protection force police at both Alipiri and GNC toll gate.

According to TTD vigilance sources at Alipiri check post and pathways, the SPF and TTD security personnel checks are not foolproof. Authorities have fixed that in one minute they should check three vehicles. Hence, the security personnel conduct checks routinely in speedy manner, due to this they do not always find the prohibited items which are kept in secret places of the vehicles. This lapse creates chance to carry explosives to hill shrine by the anti- social elements too.

When The Hans India contacted Siva Kumar Reddy, TTD additional chief security officer of vigilance and guards he said that “we are doing our job 95 percent perfectly, there are chances habitual offenders are carrying prohibited items in various methods and different ways.

There are so many ways through forest to hill shrine, offenders are using these ways for carrying liquor. Our experience on this is some ladies too are carrying liquor bottles and it is also difficult to check them closely”. Round -the- clock TTD vigilance was conducting checks at Alipri, GNC tollgates and Alipiri, Srivari Mettu foot pathways with support of dog squad, machines and guards, added TTD ACVSO.

Indian democratic women association (IDWA) Chittoor District general secretary P Sai Lakshmi charged that both TTD and police, excise departments have failed in implementing of liquor prohibition at holy hill shrine, though government officially banned the liquor here. In the view of pilgrim movement liquor sales and consumption should ban in Tirupati along with Tirumala, IDWA secretary demanded.

By K Nethaji

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