Subscribe
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board has approved a free life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh for pilgrims who die of natural causes while visiting Tirumala, with the amount to be paid to their families.
The TTD Board approved the proposal at its meeting in Tirumala on Wednesday, September 9, headed by chairman BR Naidu and attended by executive officer M Ravichandra.
Naidu said the initiative would be the first of its kind among temple trusts in the country.
Under the proposed scheme, the family of a pilgrim who dies of natural causes during their pilgrimage in Tirumala will receive Rs 2 lakh. TTD will bear the insurance premium. The initiative expands TTD’s existing accident insurance assistance for pilgrims.
The Board also decided to increase the compensation for families of devotees who die in accidents in Tirumala from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. The existing assistance covers devotees killed in road accidents between Alipiri and Tirumala under specified circumstances.
The decisions come ahead of the annual Salakatla Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara, scheduled from September 15 to 23, when Tirumala is expected to see a substantial increase in the number of devotees.
The TTD has projected a 15–20% increase in footfall during Garuda Seva compared to last year. It has also made arrangements to serve annaprasadam to 9.30 lakh devotees during the festivities, compared to the 6.13 lakh last year.
The celebrations will begin with Ankurarpanam on September 14, followed by Dwajarohanam on September 15. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to offer silk garments to Lord Venkateswara on September 15 and participate in the Pedda Sesha Vahana Seva.
Apart from the pilgrim insurance measures, the TTD Board approved several other proposals ahead of the Brahmotsavams.
It sanctioned Rs 1.60 crore over three years towards transport charges for additional sanitation personnel and decided to seek government approval for 400 additional outsourcing workers to augment laddu production during peak demand. The TTD has planned a buffer stock of 10 lakh laddus a day during the Brahmotsavams.
The Board also approved a proposal from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to establish a biogas plant to process food waste generated at the Annaprasadam complex, canteens, and hotels in Tirumala. The operation and maintenance of the plant will be entrusted to GPS Renewables at a cost of Rs 2.80 crore, with the biogas to be supplied to the Annaprasadam kitchen complex.
The Board further approved Employee Health Facility benefits for retired CPS/NPS pensioners and their families on par with OPS pensioners, besides approving salary enhancements for 48 employees working in various TTD departments.
It also approved gold-plating works at the Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Narayanavanam and the Padmavati Ammavari Temple in Chennai. The licence period of the TTD building allotted to the Telugu and Sanskrit Academy in Tirupati was also extended by three years.
