TTD NEWS

CM OPENS 4-LANE ROAD-CUM-LIGHTING FACILITY

A Rs. 3.72 cr. four-lane road-cum-high mast lighting system got developed by the TTD in the temple town of Tirupati to showcase it as a model pilgrim town in the country was formally launched by the Chief Minister, Sri N. Chandrababu Naidu on August 20.

The road is part and parcel of a 5.825 km of road-widening work taken up in the town by the TTD at the instance of the Chief Minister. The stretch spanned 3 km covering the Dairy Farm point and the Pudipatla junction. The lighting was done with 250 watt sodium vapour lamps and the same has a capacity to tune down to 150 watts automatically from 11.30 pm as energy conservation system.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by the district Minister, Sri B. Gopalakrishna Reddy, the district Collector, Sri P.V. Sathyanarayana Murthy, the TTD Executive Officer, Dr. P. Krishnaiah, the Municipal Chairperson, Sri K. Sankar Reddy, and the local MLA, Sri Ch. Krishnamurthy, later motored up in his convoy to Tirumala hills for a overnight stay and darshan.

Taking advantage of the visit, the TTD Executive Officer made a power-point presentation on the TTD's perspective planning for the next few years and highlighted the works costing Rs. 50 crores being contemplated under the scheme to cope with the increasing rush.

Chief Minister Sri N. Chandrababu Naidu called upon the TTD management to involve all people in Sri Venkateswara Prana dana scheme set up by the Devasthanams to provide free treatment to the poor. Speaking at a review meeting, he urged TTD to take necessary steps for collection of donations and successful implementation of the scheme in a big way. He also asked the authorities to evolve a comprehensive plan for the development of Tiruchanur, Renugunta, Tirupati and Srinivasa Mangapuram. The Executive Officer Dr. P. Krishnaiah explained the various activities taken by the TTD under the Haritha Project. He said 50 lakh seedlings would be planted every year in the forest, making the area fully verdant within 40 years. TTD has also made plans for growing flower plants and medicinal plants.

The Chief Minister stressed the need for bringing SVIMS, BIRRD and Ayurveda Hospital under one umbrella. He also wanted to extend training facilities to the employees of other temples in the SVETA. He requested the TTD to introduce recycling of water so that it can be used for gardens and forests.

The Review Meeting was attended by Sri Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, Minister for Medical & Health, Sri Durga Ramakrishna, M.P., Sri Chadalavada Krishnamurthy, M.L.A., Dr. P. Krishnaiah, Executive Officer, TTD., Sri P. Balasubrahmanyam, J.E.O., Sri Adikesavulu and Sri Srinivasulu, TTD Board Members and others.

Chief Minister Sri N. Chandrababu Naidu visited Tirumala on August 20 and worshipped Srivaru. He was accorded a warm welcome by the Executive Officer Dr. P. Krishnaiah, JEO, Sri P. Balasubrahmanyam and Devasthanams Forest Officer Sri Venkatramaiah on arrival at the temple. Later, the archakas pronounced 'asirvachanas' to the Chief Minister. The Executive Officer gave Srivari Prasadam to him.

As many as ten departments in the TTD administration have been identified for improving the level of their performance so as to secure the coveted International Standard Organisation, ISO-9001 certification.

According to the TTD's Executive Officer, Dr. P. Krishnaiah, the departments selected included the temple, potu (laddu preparation centre) annadanam canteen, kalyanakatta (tonsuring centre), accounts and vigilance and security.

He said the staff manning the 10 departments were being provided with special training to help them tone-up their working using IT wherever possible. The Executive Officer was presenting a broad over view of the training programme in particular, and other training and in-service orientation courses being organised by the TTD's newly opened, Sri Venkateswara Employees Training Academy (SVETA) to Sri P.V.R.K. Prasad, Director General of the Marri Chenna Reddy Institute of Human Resources Development (MCRIHRD).

Sri Prasad visited the SVETA and reviewed its working in an obvious attempt to make a mid-term evaluation of its functioning as an up-coming HRD centre being sought to be run by the TTD on the lines of the MCRIHRD. The DG suggested the TTD that while providing training to its staff, it should also ensure that the entire staff in a department was exposed to the training simultaneously lest it should result in a situation wherein a department had a mix of both trained and raw handling resulting in gaps in the performance.

Underlining the need for the training to cover everyone right from the HOD to the lowest cadre in all the departments, he wanted that the HODs be given training in DOS and DTS skills in particular. He also favoured the training be given to the staff in their respective departments itself instead of calling them to the SVETA.

Dr. Krishnaiah said that so far, nearly 4,000 (out of the 15,000 and odd) employees of the TTD at different levels had been given the training in a span of just ten months. Guest lectures by eminent personalities like Manthena Sathyanarayana Raju, B.V. Pattabhiraman, hypnotherapist, were also given.

The training components included the inputs for securing ISO-9001, crime prevention, building construction, electricity, tender preparation, temple administration, computer awareness, office management, etc. Among the others present during the DG's visit to the institute were, Sethi, of MCRIHRD, Sri P. Balasu-bramanyam and Sri R. Apparao, TTD's two Joint Executive Officers, Rajendran, SVETA Director, and Sri Subba Reddy, general manager, TTD transport.

For the benefit of passengers and pilgrims visiting Tirupati, the TTD launched Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system at the Tirupati railway station.

It would be a multipurpose facility, in that it would on one hand telecast the pre-recorded programmes on various rituals that take place in the Tirumala temple and on the other it would also relay announcements related to train timings, reservation status and so on.

While the installation of the sysstem and other sub-systems cost Rs. 3.5 lakhs, the TTD spent another Rs. 6 lakhs towards the licence fees to the railways and the same would be a joint facility for both the TTD and the railways.

A similar facility was also launched by the TTD in its Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple at Tiruchanoor. It was meant for surveillance of the movement of both the pilgrims and the temple staff members from security and vigilance point of view. TV scanner (cameras) have been installed at eight important points in the temple which would be monitored by personnel appointed for the job. Two more scanners would be installed soon, said the TTD Board Chairman, Sri P. Chalapathi Rao. The TTD Executive Officer, Dr. P. Krishnaiah, the Joint Executive Officer, Sri R. Appa Rao, the TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Officer, Sri K.R. M. Kishore Kumar and others were present.