Ten-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshan will continue: TTD chief

Tirumala: The TTD Trust Board condoled the death of six devotees who died in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda and Vishnu Nivasam counters on the night of January 8 in Tirupati. The board held an emergency meeting on Friday evening at the Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala.

In the subsequent media conference, TTD chairman B R Naidu said that the incident happened on Wednesday night has shocked everyone. “We all pray for the peace of the holy souls of those who died in this unfortunate incident,” he said.

As per the instructions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, we have decided to give Rs 25 lakh as ex-gratia to the families of those who died, Rs 5 lakh to those seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh to those undergoing treatment.

Similarly, the board has decided to provide free education to the children of the deceased in TTD educational institutions, the chairman maintained.

He said present system of 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshan would continue this time and the tokens under current booking will be issued through the counters in Tirupati as per scheduled. The TTD will take the opinion of agama pandits on providing Vaikunta Dwara Darshan for 10 days or to limit it to two days as was practice earlier. When asked on the demand from many that TTD should apologise for the stampede and the deaths, the chairman replied that there is nothing wrong in expressing regret but asked will it bring back the lost lives.

TTD board members Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy, Suchitra Ella announced Rs 10 lakh each while M S Raju Rs 3 lakh as personal financial assistance to the family members of the deceased, said the TTD chairman.

Board members observed two-minute silence in memory of those who died in the tragedy.

TTD EO J Syamala Rao, additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary, other board members and officials participated in this meeting.