The TTD board earlier has raised the room rentals and also Laddu rates at the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasnthanam. This was done under the leadership of YV Subba Reddy whose term ended recently.
Now a new specified authority under officials Jawahar Reddy and Dharma Reddy, has taken over the management of the TTD. They have just privatised the hair tonsure centres and also the prasadam counters.
This the first decision of the newly constituted specified authority.The result is that the Srivari Jilebi which is part of the prasadam will cost Rs 500 from now. It was given free on sevas and sold at Rs 100 through counters. Now one has to purchase it for Rs 500.
The TTD and the Banks were looking after the Laddu counters apart from the NGOs free of cost. The hair tonsure and the prasadam counters have shifted into private hands. The private agencies will manage the Laddu and other prasadam counters.
The tonsure of the head will also become commercial in the coming days. Earlier it was free. The TTD makes good money by way of auctioning the hair.
But now we have to pay for the tonsure. It looks like SV Subba Reddy tried to resist the commercialisation of sevas and prasadams on the TTD.
The new specified authority under Jawahar Reddy is doing nothing but commercializing the sale of Prasadam. In general, the income of the TTD has come down due to Corona restrictions.
There is an impression among the pilgrims that the TTD affairs have turned commercial in a phased manner under the regime of the YSRC.
