Stampede: TTD leadership refutes allegations of mismanagement

At a press conference in Tirumala on Monday, TTD chairman BR Naidu, EO Syamala Rao and additional EO Venkaiah Chowdary claimed there was a misinformation campaign against TTD on social and mainstream media. This, they said, was baseless and malicious.

BR Naidu, who was silent so far, stated that TTD made adequate arrangements to manage the heavy influx of devotees. He said, “The board’s decisions are made collectively, but delays in implementing these decisions were due to technical reasons, not negligence.”

“The tragedy deeply hurt chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, the TTD and the entire nation. Reports blaming TTD for the lapses are untrue and misleading. Such false narratives not only harm our institution's reputation but also deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus,” the chairman said.

He said the media should verify facts before reporting about such incidents. Compensation was provided to 31 families, and 20 more families would get it within two to three days, he said.

EO Syamala Rao appealed to the public not to believe in or spread “misinformation” about TTD. “The decisions made by the TTD board are implemented responsibly and there is no discord or lack of coordination between me and the chairman,” he clarified.

Rao dismissed reports that he addressed the chairman in a disrespectful manner.

While services such as darshan queues, food distribution and accommodation management fall entirely within the TTD's purview, crowd control in Tirupati, including queue line management and safety arrangements, is overseen by the district magistrate (collector) and SP, he said.

“TTD implements measures based on their suggestions, including the issuance of tokens. The responsibility for managing crowd congestion ultimately rests with the district administration,” he stated.

The EO reaffirmed TTD's commitment to prioritising the needs of common devotees, as directed by the chief minister. He highlighted significant improvements over the past six months in prasadam quality, accommodation, queue management, and other facilities.

“Preparation of a master plan aligned with the Vision Document is under way to upgrade the facilities. The vigilance department is addressing online fraud and related issues,” Rao said.

Additional EO Chowdary highlighted TTD's reforms to enhance transparency and efficiency. He said the donor management system is being audited to eliminate middlemen and ensure that services reached eligible donors. “Accommodation bookings have been digitised and efforts are under way to streamline darshan services by minimising human intervention and cutting down waiting times for devotees,” he added.