The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to be cautious in the expenditure to be incurred in the name of development.
“We should remember that we are only trustees for the Lord,’‘ he said at a review meeting with the members and higher officials of TTD on Wednesday, in Amaravati.
Naidu said that the TTD should gear up to cater to the pilgrims’ needs for next 50 years in its operations.
No one has the right to spend the hundi collections and other donations of the pilgrims to the Lord at will, the Chief Minister said adding that not even a single rupee of the Lord of Seven Hills should be misused.
The TTD was spending hundreds of crores of funds for various programmes and it was recommended that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) conduct an audit, along with internal auditing on the TTD expenses.
A master plan should be prepared for the development of 60 associate temples and improving the facilities for the devotees, Naidu said while adding a base camp should be constructed for the pilgrims at Alipiri.
All the vacant positions, including the joint executive director, should be filled immediately. All personnel who were working beyond superannuation and others who were on contractual employment are no longer relevant to the operations of TTD.
While directing the officials to ensure 100 per cent improvement in the services and facilities provided to the pilgrims, Chief Minister said a complete revamp of operations was needed to protect and sanctity of Tirumala and ensure safety of the pilgrims.
Maintaining that the reputation of the State totally depends on the services provided atop the Tirumala hills and inside the temple, the Chief Minister felt that the change is clearly visible between the previous government and now. “But this change should be 100 per cent and only then we can meet the expectations of the devotees and the common public,” he added.