TTD decides to take 10 retired Archakas immediately into service

Tirupati: In a surprise move, TTD decided to take retired Archakas including hereditary Mirasi Archakas immediately back into service benefitting ten Archakas including former chief priest of Tirumala temple Dr AV Ramana Deekshithulu and nine others.

TTD said the decision was in fulfilment of the High Court order which responding to a petition filed by a hereditary Archaka working in Tiruchanur temple, who was retired by TTD after attaining 65 years age, quashed TTD order retiring four Archakas in Tiruchanur temple and ordered the TTD to take the four Archakas into service in 2019.

The four Tiruchanur Archakas and the four chief priests of Tirumala temple including Ramana Deekshithulu have been requesting TTD to take them back into service as retirement is not applicable to Archakas working in Temples in AP as per the GO.

But all these years the TTD management not responded to the retired Archakas representations and even filed a revision petition in the High Court against its judgement ordering TTD to reinstate the Tiruchanur temple Archakas into service as retirement is not applicable to the hereditary Archakas.

It is needless to say that the Archakas hailed the TTD decision. However, TTD did not disclose the retired Archakas who join in service in the same position they were holding at the time of retirement or in dome other cadres.

However, the poll pandits observe the TTD U-turn on retired Archakas issue was with an eye on the by-election to Tirupati Parliament slated on April 17.

Last week a group of TTD hereditary Archakas including three chief priests along with family met CM Jagan in Tadepalli for employment of eligible Archaka family members as priests in TTD temples which were readily accepted by CM directing TTD management to appoint the 15 as priests.

It is pertinent to note that the pilgrim city has sizable Brahmins population.