New Trust Board for Bhadrachalam mooted

Even as the State government is contemplating constitution of a new Trust Board for the historical Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam soon, the demand for induction of the tenth generation descendent of legendary saint composer Bhakta Ramadasu (Kancharla Gopanna) into the trust board is fast gaining momentum.

An overwhelming number of aspirants, including several politicians, have intensified efforts to get nominated to the trust board.

Though the Endowments Department has issued a notification for constituting new trust boards for all the major temples in the State earlier this year, the exercise has not yet been completed so far, sources said. Sources in the Endowments Department said the process got delayed due to the 12-day Godavari Pushkaralu held in July this year. The term of the previous panel of the Bhadrachalam temple trust board expired more than 20 months ago.

Various long-pending developmental activities in the temple town continue to drag on in the absence of the new panel for the trust board. Several TRS leaders including those who joined the ruling party from other parties after last year’s general elections had thrown their hat in the ring with an eye on the coveted chairman post by heavily banking on their rapport with influential persons at the helm of affairs, sources said.

The Endowments Department is presently processing the applications for forwarding them to the government for final selection process, sources said. The demand for selection of persons with unblemished character and integrity as members of the new panel of the trust board is gathering pace. The government should induct Kancharla Srinivasa Rao, the tenth generation descendant of the renowned saint composer Bhakta Ramadasu, the founder of the Bhadradri temple, into the temple Trust Board, urges Kondapalli Srinivasa Rao, the town unit president of Brahmana Seva Sangham, Khammam.

Such a move will be a fitting tribute to Bhakta Ramadasu, insists Mr Rao.

Demand for inducting Bhakta Ramadasu’s descendent gains momentum