The Endowments department and Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) may soon launch an exercise to look into issues pertaining to protocol for elected representatives and those accompanying VIPs and transfer of employees, according to Endowments Minister Pydikondala Manikyala Rao.
He said in the Assembly on Monday that there was no proposal to constitute a sub-committee with locals and local people’s representatives as members for the development of the Sri Padmavathi Temple at Tiruchanuru in Chandragiri constituency and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram, that were under the control TTD.
As to another question about whether it was a fact that government would appoint those from various places in India as Chairman and members of the TTD Board, he said government was the competent authority to do so, as per Section 96 of AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 30 of 1987 and that they would attend meetings and other events as per the Act and Rules.
Earlier, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy of YSRC expressed concern that TTD officials were not giving them their due according to protocol. He said there were instances where officials themselves had organised functions without giving elected representatives their due.
The member expressed the opinion that there was no justification for extravagance displayed by officials in constructing guesthouses and setting up posh offices with ‘money from devotees’ and having a budget of Rs. 2,400 crore. He also said instances of employees continuing in the same position for many years with local support were on the rise. The Minister said he would look into the issues raised.
