Naidu: Centre of devotion being turned into hub of controversies

VIJAYAWADA:   Taking strong exception to the privatisation of Sri Vari Seva counters, TDP supremo and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu expressed concerns that the “vested interests were sowing the seeds of commercialisation and privatisation even in the highly-revered and supremely sacred hill-top temple of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.”

“A centre of undiluted devotion like Tirumala temple is being turned into a hub of needless controversies and unsavoury disputes under the present rulers,” he remarked. Taking to Twitter on Friday, the TDP chief termed it as unacceptable that the seva counters for laddu distribution, ‘kalyana katta’ and Vaikuntam queue complex ticket scanning were handed over to a private agency.

All these Seva Counters were till now operated as free service counters by the national banks, devotees and voluntary organisations, who did not collect a single rupee from the TTD for rendering their services, he said. Seeking to know how the free services being given to the TTD be converted into paid services, Naidu said that the TTD would have to pay for the services being provided by the private agency because of the same.