AP to Fill 137 Vacant Posts in Endowment: CM

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has approved recruitments to 137 vacant positions in the Endowment Department. These include a set of deputy commissioner and Grade 1 and 3 executive officer posts.

Naidu on Tuesday directed the officials to fill these vacancies through direct recruitment across five categories -- six deputy commissioners, five assistant commissioners, six Grade-1 EOs, 104 Grade-3 EOs, and 16 junior assistants.

During a review meeting he held at the Secretariat on Endowments department, the CM said that the Vydiki staff members' posts should be filled soon with eligible persons.

He also directed the officials to implement the Annadanam scheme for pilgrims in all temples in the state. This is now available only at seven temples-- Srisailam, Sri Kalahasti, Kanipakam, Bezawada Durgamma, Annavaram, Dwaraka Tirumala and Simhachalam.

“Anna Prasadam should be served in a way that ensures taste, quality and cleanliness of the food, giving the devotees a sense of purity, for which the services of those who come forward voluntarily should be utilised,” Naidu said.

Steps should be taken to ensure that funds are provided from the seven main temples, for temples whose income is not sufficient for the Anna Prasad programme, he said.

The CM aid the quality of 'Anna Prasadam' should be maintained on the lines of the service at the Goddess Vengamamba temple in Tirumala.

He said focus should be laid on the quality of Anna Prasadam. Quality tests should be conducted periodically.

Asking the officials to formulate plans to develop all the temples in a phased manner, Naidu stated that in the first phase, master plans, in accordance with the Agama Sastras, should be formulated with regard to 23 temples. They should be the growth engines for temple tourism, he said.

A committee should be set up to formulate a comprehensive policy to ensure that temple lands are not encroached upon and that such assets are protected. Also, these lands can be leased out to commercial entities, he felt.

“The revenue generated from this should be used for the development of temples again,” Naidu said and observed that in this process, care must be taken to ensure that the sentiments of the devotees are not hurt. When the endowment lands are leased out, permission should be given only to vegetarian hotels, he noted.

“Form a Balaji Temple Building Fund and with the funds thus gathered, one temple each should be constructed in all the assembly segments. Temple committees should be formed to ensure that the Dhupa-Deepa-Nyvedyasms (offerings of incense and lamps) are received regularly,” Naidu said.

These apart, he said, stringent action should be taken against those who resort to attacks on temples. CC cameras should be installed at 24,538 temples which are notified under 6C category. These are available only at temples that have a revenue of over Rs.50,000.

Observing that Srisailam is the only place in the state that has both 12 Jyotirlingam and 18 Shakti Peethas, the CM noted that there was a possibility to develop the Srisailam Kshetram on the lines of Tirumala, Tirupati.

As the temple lands in Srisailam are very limited, they should be used in a perfectly planned manner. Guest houses at Srisailam should be built with government funds, Naidu added.