Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister P.Manikyala Rao has said that after curtailing the VIP break darshan, at least 10,000 more commoners are able to avail ‘darshan’ at the Tirumala every day.
Earlier, about 5,000 VIPs used to avail break darshan and now the number has been reduced to 800 to 1,000 a day. As a result, the waiting time came down from 30 hours to about seven hours for others, he said. Speaking to the media in his chambers here on Monday, Mr.Manikyala Rao said that once the Rs.300 tickets for slot booking was introduced to avail darshan within two hours, the system of VIP letters would also be dispensed with.
Disclosing about several proposals being pursued, the Minister said that the Endowments department would launch websites to upload temple-wise accounts, expenditure, lands, properties and valuables besides details of staff. Several software companies including the TCS came forward to design the website. The department would also be brought under the purview of the RTI Act to bring in transparency and provide information in the public domain.
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In order to attract students to pursue Sanathana Dharma, the Endowments department will set up English medium schools in each district with the help of donors which will also teach Sanathana Dharma. This would encourage students to pursue normal education to find employment and also pursue their dharma as purohits, he said. The proposal was mooted as not many students enrolled in institutions teaching Sanathana Dharma were dropping out despite the department depositing Rs. 2 lakh in the name of each student.