Betterment of facilities for pilgrims top priority, says new TTD chief

Tirumala: Newly appointed chairman and members of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board were sworn in at a simple function held in Bangaruvakili area in the sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala temple on Saturday.

Among those who were administered oath of office and secrecy include Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav along with 12 other board members including Principal Secretary Endowments Manmohan Singh and TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal as ex-officio members.

TTD Executive Officer Singhal who is also the Member Secretary of the trust board administered the oath to the trust board members including hairman Sudhakar Yadav.
The chairman and members after the swearing in ceremony had darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Later, they received Teertha Prasadams and Vedic pundits blessed them.
Yadava Association leaders from various districts and outside the State turned up in good number at Golla Mandapam opposite to the main entrance of the temple to greet Sudhakar Yadav when he came out of the shrine after the oath taking ceremony.

Addressing the gathering including the media on the occasion, Sudhakar Yadav said he and other trust board members thank Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for giving them the chance to serve the pilgrims. He said his priorities include betterment of facilities for the common pilgrims to ensure a hassle-free darshan, upholding the sanctity and serenity of the holy hills and propagation of Sanathana Hindu Dharma in a big way.

"We will discharge our duties with responsibility in co-ordination with TTD officials for the benefit of pilgrims,” the Chairman and members of TTD Board asserted.
The new TTD chairman said till a separate TTD was formed, a Yadava representative was in the advisory committee of temple and recalled the contribution of Yadavas for the growth of Tirumala temple. He said Lord Venkateswara Swamy in the form of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu blessed the community again and appointed a Yadava, a weaker section representative, as TTD chairman thus recognising the services of Yadavas to Lord Venkateswara.

“It is the Yadava who first has the darshan of Lord when the temple is opened every morning. The unique privilege is being given to a Yadava as a token of their services to the Lord,’’ he said adding that he had experience as a trust board member and was well aware of the functioning of TTD. Answering a volley of questions on the safety of devotees money vis-a-vis TTD making fixed deposit in a private bank, Sudhakar said he will take a decision on any issue only after discussion in the trust board and sought media support in the better functioning of TTD administration.

It may be noted here that Sapna Munagantiwar, wife of Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Munagantiwar, Bengaluru-based philanthropist Sudha Narayana Murthy, Sandra Veera Venkataiah and Endowments Commissioner could not make it to the swearing in ceremony on Saturday. TTD security and vigilance department along with local police made tight security arrangements in Tirumala in view of many Hindu outfits and seers coming out openly against Sudhakar Yadav’s appointment as TTD Trust Board chairman, to ensure the swearing in was conducted smoothly.

Later, a formal introductory session took place at Annamaiah Bhavan for the newly appointed TTD board members with senior officers and HoDs of TTD. TTD joint executive officers K S Sreenivasa Raju, P Bhaskar, Chief Engineer Chandrasekhar Reddy, FACAO O Balaji, Additional and In-charge CVSO Siva Kumar Reddy and Ashok Reddy who is the special invitee in TTD Trust board and other senior officers were also present.