Tirumala Archakas to move court against TTD decision

Tirupati: Aggrieved with the TTD decision to not continue the services of priests who have completed 65 years of age, the Archakas are planning to move the court to stall their retrenchment from temple service.

Sources said the Archakas contend the decision adopted by the TTD Trust Board will not hold good in their case as they are not regular employees and have been working under the Sambhavana Scheme getting a fixed monthly amount from TTD management for religious services they are rendering in Tirumala.

Senior priest AV Ramana Deekshithulu, who came out openly against TTD management and levelled allegation of violation of religious observance in the famed Tirumala temple, remained incommunicado since last evening following the instruction from his legal advisors.

However, sources close to four senior Archakas whose services the TTD decided to dispense with claiming they crossed 65 years of age, said the rule of retirement will not applicable to them as they are not coming under the category of regular TTD employees and no scale pay ever fixed for them and implemented by TTD.

Interestingly, the TTD in its Board meeting on Wednesday resolved not to continue the services of the Archakas who have completed 65 years of age, cleverly moving its coins by deciding to take one person each from four Archaka families who have been rendering hereditary service as Archaka in Tirumala temple, to send them out on the ground of crossing 65 years of age, to counter any move from the Archakas against TTD.

There are four families of Archakas including Peddinti Deekshithulu, Pydipalli Deekshithulu, Gollapalli Deekshithulu and Tirupatamma Deekshithulu rendering hereditary Archaka services from time immemorial in the Tirumala temple.

Over 17 scions of these Tirumala temple hereditary Archaka families were allowed when the trust board meeting was going on in Tiumala on Wednesday to submit a representation for their employment as Archaka and the officials including Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav declared that they will be taken into TTD service in the post that will be vacant after the services of the priests who have completed 65 years discontinued.

Unconfirmed sources said the 17 came at the behest of TTD and were specially allowed when the meeting was going on to give representation. Later, speaking to media TTD Chairman Sudhakar Yadav reiterated the appointment of new Archakas from four hereditary Archaka families only to maintain that the TTD has no intention doing injustice to hereditary Archaka families rendering service in Tirumala temple.

It apparently reveals that the TTD is cautiously treading on Archaka issue to check it being projected as against the hereditary Archakaship as the stopping of hereditary services invariably apply to other hereditary services like Annamacharya Vamsikulu and Sannidi Golla Mirasi turning it a major issue and antagonising more.

Meanwhile the TTD move assumed political overtones with YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy opposing it and declaring that his party if comes to power will see no retirement for Archakas.