FRT helps TTD plug loopholes in room allotment

Tirumala: The Face Recognition Technology (FRT) introduced by TTD for providing rooms to pilgrims succeeded in plugging the loopholes in the accommodation allotment system in Tirumala, said executive officer AV Dharma Reddy.

Speaking to media here on Tuesday on the impact of technology implemented from March 1, the EO said the FRT totally eliminated the middlemen who with the collusion of some employees managed to get rooms for providing them at an abnormal rate to pilgrims who were in dire need of accommodation on the hills, before the introduction of facial recognition technology. Before the FRT, the same rooms were rotated by the touts with the tacit support of employees concerned with the accommodation facility, causing loss of revenue to TTD and also artificial scarcity of accommodation in Tirumala where accommodation facilities are limited.

"The devotees are now getting accommodation within 5-10 minutes without any inconvenience. With rotation of rooms which used to be rampant earlier now remains curtailed with the introduction of FRT," the EO said. Even the process of refund of caution deposit to the pilgrims is being done fast, he added.

The FRT coupled with the allotment of rooms based only on a single ID Aadhaar card saw more pilgrims get accommodation in Tirumala easing their difficulties in getting rooms, he said, informing that from March 1, a devotee gets a room only once in a month. Earlier, the devotees based on multiple ID cards like voter cards were able to get room more than once but with the single ID the room allotment will be after a month gap.

The series of measures, he said, saw TTD increase its revenue through accommodation which was Rs 2.95 crore in 12days (March 12).

On an experimental basis, the registration for room allotment will be made at CRO (central reception office), instead of at many points as of now, he said.

FRT introduced in issuing tokens (in Vaikuntam II) for free laddus helped the TTD arrest the misuse of the facility, he said.

Earlier, a power point presentation on the implementation of FRT in accommodation allotment system was made for the media persons.