TTD Board to expand temple operations and welfare of devotees

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board has resolved to discuss and approve several significant resolutions aimed at enhancing services for devotees, expanding temple activities and improving infrastructure. Briefing the media about the deliberations of the meeting, TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao on Tuesday said, the board resolved to request the State government to recommend national status for its Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences to the Central government which shall bestow it with the opportunity to secure special funds and provide better medical services particularly to economically disadvantaged patients. The board approved a new policy to issue licenses to reputed national organizations to ensure higher standards of food preparation and service to counter the complaints of sub-standard food being made available by the big and small hotels atop the town and also gave its nod for the establishment of a dedicated Food Safety Department in TTD to oversee the quality of food served to devotees. Other resolutions include construction of six toilet blocks between Alwar Tank rest houses and Bata Gangamma circle at a cost of ₹3.36 crore, sanctioning of ₹2 crore to the school run by Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in Tirupati, installation of a golden kalasam atop the Sri Kodanda Ramaswamy temple gopuram in Vontimitta at a cost of ₹43 lakhs The board also resolved to request the Maharashtra government to reduce the ₹20 crore lease amount for the 3.60 acres of land allotted to it by CIDCO in Navi Mumbai for the construction of a temple dedicated to goddess Padmavati.