Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), one of the world's richest Hindu temple trusts, is undergoing a significant leadership transition with new alliance government appointing senior bureaucrat J. Syamala Rao, an IAS officer of the 1997 batch, as the new executive officer (EO) of the devasthanam, replacing A.V. Dharma Reddy.
Syamala Rao brings extensive experience spanning various departments, including health, municipal administration, urban development, and food and consumer affairs. He previously served as Visakhapatnam district collector and is currently the principal secretary of higher education department. The new EO's appointment comes after Dharma Reddy has gone on leave. Sources within the TTD trust are anticipating a complete overhaul of top administrative positions in the devasthanam in the coming weeks.
The leadership change comes at a pivotal time when the previous government's handling of the TTD is under scrutiny. Speculations are rife about an impending probe into alleged irregularities during the tenure of the outgoing administration.
The new government has also indicated its intention to conduct an inquiry into various appointments made within the TTD during the previous five years, potentially contributing to the irregularities. The newly elected Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has vowed to "purify governance" at the sacred Tirumala Temple, as against alleged corruption and maladministration under the preceding regime.
