Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) would soon replace traditional Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) with environmental-friendly Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) in all its kitchens as also private hotels and restaurants in the temple town.
Stating this here on Friday, TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said, “We are contemplating this shift in phases at the main Annaprasadam complex, VQC canteen, employees' canteen as well as private hotels and tiffin centres in Tirumala.”
Addressing pilgrims during the 'Dial Your TTD EO' programme in Tirumala, Dharma Reddy said a devotee from Visakhapatnam raised safety issues involved in the use of LPG gas by hoteliers in Tirumala.
"The central government is also pushing for use of environmentally cleaner fuels and has appointed agencies in every district for this purpose. We would lay a pipeline connecting all our kitchens as well as local hotels to ensure smooth supply," the EO said.
Responding to a Muslim devotee's request to allow people from other faiths too to offer the Srivari Seva voluntary services at Tirumala, the EO said TTD would consider this possibility.
“Many devotees from different faiths have been making donations to Venkateswara Swamy. We are happy to see their dedication,” he said.
Several callers sought resumption of offline allotment of darshan and seva tickets, to which Dharma Reddy said the online system was introduced to avoid long queues and ensure transparency.
During the ‘Dial Your TTD EO’ programme, a 70-year-old devotee thanked the TTD medical team for their help when he fell unconscious in the Vaikuntam queue complex in December. The EO promised to arrange a special darshan for him soon.
Another caller complained about the high speed of taxis in Tirumala, to which the EO said awareness programmes would be held and strict action taken against rule violators.
