Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has enough funds in its exchequer and there is no problem for payment of salaries and also for maintenance of the temple administration.
This was clarified by TTD trust board chairman Y V Subba Reddy to media persons in Tirupati on Wednesday.
He strongly refuted the reports that appeared in a section of media and rumours in social media, which said there was a severe crunch of funds in TTD coffers so much so that it has no money for maintenance of the temple administration and even to pay salaries for its employees.
"We have no scarcity of funds and there will not be any problem to pay salaries and pensions to our employees as well for maintenance. As per State Government norms, we have paid March and April salaries and are ready to pay May salaries,” Subba Reddy asserted.
The TTD chairman said though the temple had been closed for darshan of pilgrims for over two months, it had collected Rs 1.97 crore in April 2020 through “electronic hundi’ (e-hundi) system.
“This was Rs 18 lakh more than the e-hundi collections made in the same month last year – the temple received Rs 1.79 crore in April 2019,” Reddy said.
Subba Reddy said it was heartening to note that in spite of lockdown restrictions, the devotees were generously offering money through e-hundi and displaying their devotion though they did not get to see the Lord for over 60 days as of now.
He said in view of tremendous response to the e-hundi from devotees, the TTD had decided to resume sale of famous “Laddu Prasadam of Tirumala” in two or three days at a discount of 50%.
“Instead of the regular price of Rs 50 per laddu weighing 175 grams, it will now be sold at Rs 25 per laddu. This discount will continue till the darshan of the Lord resumes after the lifting of lockdown,” he said.
“The sale of laddu would be done at all TTD Kalyana Mandapams (Wedding halls) and information centres present in all 13 district headquarters in Andhra Pradesh, apart from those at Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru state shortly", he said.
