Tirupati Devasthanams board holds meeting, takes host of decisions

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 26 : The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board under the chairmanship of Bhumana Karunakara Reddy along with the TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy and others board dignitaries has taken some important decisions during the Board meeting held at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Monday.
The board has decided to increase the wages of about nine thousand people working in various departments of TTD in corporation, contract and outsourcing under unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled categories.
It has also decided to organize the "Nitya Sankeerthanarchana" program for devotees at the seventh mile Sri Anjaneyaswamy. Similarly, it was decided to build the Annamayya Kalamandir at Thallapaka and organize the "Nitya Sankeerthanarchana" program there as well.
It was also decided to organize the Tirupati birthday festival on February 24 every year in the TTD temple. Similarly, it was also decided to include this auspicious day in the TTD calendar.
As per the permission of Tirumala Sri Sri Pedda Jiyar Swami and also upon the suggestions of the temple Archakas, the worn-out doors of Jaya-Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Srivari Temple, shall be repaired by approving new doors with gold plating for Rs 1.69 crores.
As per the decision, permission was granted to four leading jewellery companies to make seven designs approving Rs four crores.
As a part of spreading Hindu Sanatana Dharma, the board approved the advice and suggestions given by various pontiffs of different mutts across the country during the Sanatana Dharmika Sadas organized by TTD recently in Tirumala.
It has also approved the transfer of employees of Sri Lakshmi Srinivasa Manpower Corporation working in the TTD Forest Department back to their societies, increasing their wages and giving them bus passes.
It was approved to pay Rs 8.16 crore to TUDA regarding the layout and other development charges of houses allotted to TTD employees at Padiredu Aranyam in Vadamalapeta.
It sanctioned permission to set up modern lights in Tiruchanoor Sri Padmavati Ammavari Temple for Rs 3.89 crore to enhance spirituality.
The construction of a permanent Yagashala from Srivani Trust for the convenience of devotees at a cost of Rs.4.12 crores for Sri Srinivasa Divyanugraha Homam was approved.
The President of Sri Mayurapati Sri Bhadrakali Amman Temple Trust, Sri Sundar Lingam requested TTD towards the construction of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Puttalam district in Colombo of Srilanka to which the board agreed and also agreed to organise Srivari Kalyanam upon their request.
Proposals will also be sent to the state government for setting up an additional 15 posts of Potu supervisors in Srivari Potu to prepare more Laddu Prasadams in Tirumala according to the daily growing needs of devotees.
It has been approved to sanction Rs 3.19 crores towards the modernization of blocks 1 and 4 of Tirumala Saptagiri Rest House. Rs.3.15 crores was sanctioned to replace 682 motor pump sets with new in Gogarbham, Papavinasanam, Akashaganga, Kumaradhara, Kumaradhara and other areas in Tirumala.
It was decided to extend FMS services for another three years in the rest houses and PACs located in various parts of Tirumala. The manufacture of new gold armours to the utsava murthies of Sri Govindaraja Swamy and Sridevi Bhudevi in Tirupati was approved. Rs 50 lakhs have been sanctioned towards the lighting, mike set and other beautification works at Sri Tataiah Gunta Gangamma Temple in Tirupati.
It was approved to increase the HRA for staff working in the Srivari temple constructed in Jammu by TTD last year.
The construction of a new sports complex at a cost of Rs 7.51 crores on the vacant land behind the Income Tax Guest House on Hare Rama Hare Krishna Road, Tirupati also received a nod.
In the meeting, it was decided that Rs 3.72 crores to print 98 lakh copies of Bhagavad Gita with easy translation in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English languages as a part of raising religious and moral values among children.
Moreover, Sri Padmavathi General Hospital, affiliated to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), has decided to provide cashless medical treatment to patients with Arogyasri cards from March 1 in not only super specialties like general medicine, general surgery, gynaecology, psychiatry, paediatrics but also for common diseases like fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Subsidized breakfast and lunch will be provided to employees of contract, outsourcing, societies, FMS and sanitation staff under work contracts in TTD in the employees' canteen at Tirumala.
Rs 8.15 crores has been sanctioned towards the expansion of kitchen and canteen at SV Employees Canteen in Tirumala and Rs 3 crores for the purchase of necessary cooking equipment.
The board resolved to remove the honorary Chief Priest Sri Ramana Dikshitulu for making baseless accusations against TTD officials, Jiyangar Swamis, priests and Ahobila Mutt.
It was decided that two historical wells near Galigopuram and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in the Alipiri footpath will be inaugurated.
Ex-officio members, board members and TTD officials were also present at the meeting.