TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy on Thursday said the management was in no hurry to increase the number of devotees allowed for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

At present, about 6,000 devotees are being allowed on an average every day.

“The intention is to ensure a hassle-free darshan to the devotees. We will explore the feasibility of increasing the number later. We will not jump to any hasty conclusion at the cost of devotees’ comfort,” Mr. Subba Reddy told the media here.

He lauded the devotees for adhering to the COVID-19 protocols by voluntarily maintaining the mandatory physical distance and sporting face masks.

Mr. Reddy made a surprise inspection of the Vaikuntam, free meal and Kalyanakatta complexes as the general public were allowed into the temple after a long interval of 82 days.

He interacted with the employees and sought to know from them about the supply of PPE kits. He spent ample time in the kitchen at the Nitya Annadanam Complex, besides taking stock of the new procedures adopted in the supply of food to the devotees.

‘Feedback positive’

Mr. Reddy said he was buoyed at the positive feedback from devotees who, he said, had expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements.

He further said that random tests were being conducted to the devotees at the security checking point at Alipiri in Tirupati, and appealed to the devotees from the containment zones to either cancel, or postpone their pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, the TTD urged the devotees to report at the Vaikuntam Complex at the time specified on the darshan tokens and avoid any kind of congregation or inconvenience to the fellow pilgrims.