TTD Refutes Neglect Claims After Devotee's Complaint to Endowments Minister

Tirupati:Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer J. Syamala Rao has addressed allegations of neglect in response to a devotee's complaint lodged with Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. The complaint concerned inadequate food distribution in the darshan queue lines at Tirumala.

During a media briefing at Tirumala on Tuesday, Rao presented CCTV footage showing that the devotee had been served food multiple times while waiting in the queue. The footage was part of an investigation triggered by the complaint, which initially raised concerns about the temple’s services for pilgrims.

Rao explained that the complaint was taken seriously, leading to a thorough review of the CCTV footage. “The footage shows that the devotee entered the queue line at 10:30 PM on Sunday and exited at 10:45 AM the next day. During this period, the devotee received annaprasadam twice and milk in the morning,” Rao stated.

The EO revealed that the devotee admitted to filing the complaint out of frustration due to the long wait. Rao assured that Srivari Seva volunteers continuously provide food and beverages to those in the queue and urged devotees to report genuine issues directly to TTD. He emphasized that accusations not based on fact can demoralize TTD staff and volunteers.

The complaint arose when the devotee, during a visit by Endowments Minister Ramanarayana Reddy on Monday, expressed dissatisfaction with the queue line arrangements and alleged insufficient food distribution. The minister had responded by reassuring the devotee and promised to facilitate darshan after consulting with TTD officials.