Common devotees get more darshan time, says TTD EO

Tirupati: TTD executive officer (EO) Anil Kumar Singhal said that the majority of darshan time at the Tirumala temple is reserved for common devotees rather than VIPs or special ticket holders.

Participating in the monthly Dial Your EO programme at Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala on Friday, Singhal attended to 17 pilgrim callers during the one-hour live interaction. Responding to various queries, he clarified that more than 70 per cent of the available darshan time is allotted to common devotees. “We always give priority to ordinary pilgrims while ensuring a smooth and comfortable darshan for all,” he said.

On the upcoming Vaikuntha Ekadasi Dwara Darshan scheduled from December 30 to January 8, the EO informed that TTD is finalising arrangements to release tickets and tokens both online and offline after thorough verification. “We are contemplating transparent token allocation and will announce the details soon,” he assured.

When asked about the facilities for physically challenged devotees, Singhal said Srivari Seva volunteers are deployed to assist them in reaching the sanctum without inconvenience. He reiterated that TTD’s objective is to provide a hassle-free darshan experience to every devotee.

Responding to suggestions on ticket booking, SSD token timings and SRIVANI tickets, he explained that TTD takes decisions based on collective feedback from devotees through surveys, WhatsApp, emails, and letters.

“All policy changes are made considering the majority opinion,” he added, noting that a committee has been formed to address issues in various darshan formats.

On employment concerns, the EO informed that pending issues related to the 2023 engineering department job notification would be resolved within 15 days.

He also appealed to devotees not to approach touts or middlemen for darshan tickets, warning that many complaints were received about fraud. “The SRIVANI scheme was introduced to eliminate middlemen and use the funds for building temples in backward areas,” he explained.

Among other suggestions received were the timely delivery of Sapthagiri magazine, refund of caution deposits, and the possibility of starting a TTD Eye Bank. Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, JEO Veerabrahmam, CVSO Muralikrishna, CEO, SVBC, Phanikumar Naidu, chief engineer Satyanarayana and other officials were present.