Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, on Thursday, was sworn in as the new Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board.
At a brief ceremony organised at Garudalwar Sannidhi inside the sanctum sanctorum, TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy administered the oath.
Later, Mr. Karunakar Reddy said, “I’m not here to serve the affluent but to serve the common and ordinary pilgrims who have always remained the priority. Even during my earlier stint as the Chairman between 2006-08, common pilgrims were attached with top priority, and every resolution the board took revolved around their welfare. I sincerely appeal to the rich and powerful not to crave spending extended time in front of the main deity but to give way to the ordinary pilgrims who spend gruelling hours to get a glimpse of the Lord.”
The new board is committed to working in tandem with the existing administrative set-up, promoting the cult and glory of Lord Venkateswara, bringing all Hindus under a single roof and striving to universalise the Sanatana Hindu dharma.
Despite registering over 85,000 footfalls on average every day, the temple administration, he said, has been rendering yeoman service in meeting the requirements of the devotees.
Taking cognizance of the dedicated efforts of the TTD employees, the new board will also consider their demands and do its best to find an amicable solution to their problems. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has already given his nod to providing house sites to all the TTD employees for which the management, on its part, has also identified over 435 acres of land in and around Tirupati.
