TTD Trust Board chief,EO at loggerheads

Tirumala, Sept 25:

 The differences between the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (Ttd), Mr I Y R Krishna Rao, and the Ttd Chairman, Mr D Adikesavulu Naidu, came into open on Friday with the latter defining the responsibilities of the Executive Officer.

“The Executive Officer is expected to implement only the decisions taken by the Ttd Trust Board. He should not step out of his limits and is not expected to dictate any terms, whatsoever, either to the employees or to others. I have been keeping silence in view of the larger interests of the temple and the sanctity of the shrine. I always feel that the lakhs of pilgrims who visit this world famous temple daily should not feel inconvenienced and thus I am not opening my mouth,” the Ttd Chairman said while talking to selective media persons atop the Hills on Friday.

The immediate provocation for the outburst s of Mr Adikesavulu Naidu is that he felt humiliated in the morning when his limousine was stopped by the local police inspector near the Ram Bagicha Guest House, a few yards away from the main temple. Mr Adikesavulu Naidu was on his way to take part in the ongoing Brahmotsavams of the Lord.

As his car arrived at the spot, the inspector asked the driver not to move ahead and park the vehicle there as the car number was not in the list that was provided to the police by the Executive Officer to be allowed up to the main temple. Though the driver informed the inspector that the car was carrying none other than the Ttd Chairman, the inspector did not budge and finally Mr Adikesavulu Naidu had to alight from the car at the Guest House and walk down up to the temple entrance.

Deeply hurt at the ‘humiliation’ meted out to him, the Ttd Chairman was seen wreathing with anger and told the media persons present there that the Executive Officer is crossing the Lakshman rekha. “He should behave properly. I have been remaining silent all these days  keeping in view only the interests of the lakhs of pilgrims visiting the temple daily,” he felt.

This is not for the first time that the Ttd Trust Board Chief felt belittled during the ongoing Brahmotsavams. Only on Wednesday, the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer refused to let the pilgrims come closer to the main entrance even after Mr Naidu requested him to do so.

As the attendance of the devotees was thin that day during the procession in which the Lord was being taken through the four Mada Streets, Mr Naidu asked the security officer to allow the ordinary pilgrims to come closer to the Ratham in which the Lord was being taken into the procession. But, the official did not honour the Ttd Trust Board Chairman’s request quoting security reasons.