TTD abolishes canteen provision for contract staff

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has now officially declared that it will provide meals on subsidy at its canteen only for permanent employees. Previously the TTD had been allowing all its employees including contract and outsourcing to have meals on subsidy in its canteen at Tirumala and Tirupati.

It may be noted that apart from permanent employees, more than 6,000 contract and outsourcing employees are working in Tirumala hills for serving the devotees. Many contract and outsourcing employees have been getting meagre salaries. In view of this, many employees are using the canteen during their duty hours. That too several contract staff have been traveling from Tirupati to attend duties in Tirumala hence they are unable to bring lunch boxes along with them during early hours.

Since last one month, TTD canteen department officials have been allowing only permanent employees to have meals and tiffin on subsidy rates. In this regard they placed a notice that only TTD employees having GIS ID number (permanent ) are allowed to use the canteen facility.

With this decision, thousands of contract employees have been suffering to have meals during the duty hours and they have to spend amount from their pocket for having meals or tiffin. On this issue, TTD permanent employees association leaders are also expressing their dissatisfaction.

Speaking to The Hans India, TTD staff and workers united front president M Nagarujan said that providing of subsidy meals and tiffin in canteen was part of employees' welfare. Along with us contract employees are also discharging duties for serving devotees. In that view, TTD has to extend the subsidy canteen facility to contract and outsourcing employees too, he added.