TTD plans door-to-door inspection to identify other faith staffers
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Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is contemplating a door-to-door inspection to identify non-Hindu staffers working in the temple trust. As per Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act and the TTD Act, only Hindus can work in TTD, which draws its funds from donations extended by devotees visiting Tirumala and other Hindu temples under its fold in Tirupati and across the country.
While this Act has existed for decades, some non-Hindus managed to get into the organisation. Following a vigilance enquiry carried out by the TTD administration in 2018, it emerged that there were about 44 non-Hindus working in the temple trust. After the TTD management served notices to the 44 non-Hindus, they moved Andhra Pradesh high court challenging the move. The matter is still pending before the court.
The new TTD trust board, which was formed after the TDP-led NDA govt came to power in the state, passed a resolution last year to identify and remove non-Hindu employees from the temple trust.
A vigilance enquiry was carried out, which found that 29 non-Hindus were still on the payrolls of TTD, with 15 of them retired in the last six years. The employees were offered a voluntary retirement package by the TTD, but they did not accept the offer and intimated to the management that they will continue to fight the case legally.
Recently, an assistant executive officer rank official was suspended by the TTD after he was found to be following a different faith.
A few days later, another executive engineer rank officer was also suspended after he was found displaying his allegiance to another faith.
Bandi Sanjay, Union minister of state for home affairs, claimed that nearly 1,000 non-Hindus were working in the temple trust and asked the TTD management to immediately initiate action. Responding to Bandi's remarks, state endowments minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy said a detailed enquiry is underway to identify all non-Hindus working in the temple trust.
TTD trust board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy said the temple management is contemplating a door-to-door inspection as part of the vigilance enquiry. "It has come to our notice that many employees having Hindu names have converted to other faith, which is a violation of TTD Act and also the Endowments Act. Without physically visiting their houses, the vigilance enquiry will remain incomplete. It is unfortunate that such people continue to draw their salaries and other benefits from the TTD while practising other faiths," he said.
A detailed discussion on the proposed door-to-door survey will be held during the TTD trust board meeting scheduled for July 22.
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