TTD may end VIP darshan categories

Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy said on Saturday that the temple administration would soon suspend the categorisation of VIP break darshan under List-1, List-2 and general categories, in the first meeting of the TTD trust board, which will be constituted within ten days from now.

The Trust Board chief on Saturday inspected the Balaji Institute of Research Rehabilitation and Surgery for the Disabled (BIRRD) hospital in Tirupati.

Speaking to media persons here, Mr. Reddy said “The state government will constitute a full-fledged trust board within the next ten days. We will take a decision to suspend the categorisation of VIP break darshan into List-1 and List-2 and general categories in the very first trust board meeting, keeping in view the discontent among devotees created with the categorisation of break darshan.”

Underlining the need to impose curbs on the repeated visits of VIPs to the Tirumala temple, Mr Reddy felt that the VIPs should consider visiting Tirumala only once in a year, in order to reduce the inconvenience caused to the common devotees with VIP break darshan.

Reiterating that the new trust board’s top priority was to ensure hassle-free darshan to commoners, Mr Reddy assured that the new trust board would focus on improving facilities at Tirumala and enhance the duration of darshan timings for common devotees.

Meanwhile, the chairman also had lengthy discussions with BIRRD doctors who brought several issues to his notice to further improve patient care in the hospital.

“Our motto is to take BIRRD hospital to global standards. Once the board is formed, we will improve the facilities to provide better Medicare to the patients here. We will construct 40 more rooms for the patients here by spending Rs.4 crore and advanced medical equipment would also be procured,” he maintained.