TIRUPATI: Condemning the reports that surfaced about the negligence of APSRTC authorities in issuing Tirumala Tirupati bus tickets printed with pro-Christian advertisement, the corporation has tried to furnish facts and claimed that there was no wilful publication of any religious matter on the reverse side of the TIM rolls.
In a press note released by the office of RTC executive director (Administration), it claimed to have withdrawn all the TIM paper rolls presently available in Tirumala and other depots of Chittoor region.
The note read, “The ad content covered 18 schemes of the then government of Andhra Pradesh for the welfare and development of minorities in the state. On observing the content published in the news papers and after studying the entire matter, all the TIM paper rolls presently available in Tirumala and other depots of Chittoor region have been withdrawn duly taking the sentiments of the devotees, as published in newspapers.”
It also added “An inquiry has been ordered to probe into this matter and to elicit further information and to avoid recurrence of such incidents in Tirumala.”
Furnishing facts, the RTC ED informed “APSRTC provides licence to the ad agencies for printing advertisements on the reverse side of the TIM ticket rolls to generate commercial revenue for the corporation. In the year 2016, an ad agency by the name of M/s Marvin Creative Services was given approval to print advertisements on the reverse side of the tickets in the entire state. They had secured funds from the Minorities Department of Government of AP in March 2019 to publish various schemes of the then government on the backside of tickets rolls used in TIMs for issue of tickets to passengers travelling by RTC.”
“Publication of ads of the minorities department was taken up by the ad agency for Nellore and Kadapa zones of APSRTC. Though tickets stock was received at the zonal store in Nellore in March, the supply of the same to depots was kept in abeyance since election code had come into force. After completion of code by the end of May, supply of TIM rolls with ads of previous government was completed by June 20 and sent to all depots of Nellore zone. A total of 30,000 rolls were brought and 10,000 each were given to Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor regions,” he explained.
