Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who is all set to take over as the chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board, wishes to steer clear of the administrative machinery’s activities and stay focussed on policy-making.
The legislator of Tirupati Assembly constituency is going to hold the reins of the prestigious temple board for the second time now, as he was appointed as the chairman in 2004 by the then Chief Minister Late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Mr. Karunakar Reddy thanked the Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for offering him the coveted post by reposing faith in his leadership akin to his father, the late YSR, two decades back.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Mr. Karunakar Reddy appreciated the well-oiled administrative setup headed by an Executive Officer and expressed confidence that he would have no need to tread into the domain that is clearly demarcated. “The TTD administration is well ensconced in its groove and hence needs no special intervention by the chairman’s office, or for that matter, any institution”, he elaborated.
Social renaissance
Similarly, he termed the revival of spiritual ambience at Tirumala-Tirupati as his focal point. “I feel that taking the glory of Lord Venkateswara to the reach of the millions of devotees is the prime task on hand”.
Mr. Karunakara Reddy’s previous tenure received encomiums and likened to a social renaissance, when the TTD had taken up several socially relevant projects. Performing mass weddings under ‘Kalyanamasthu’, taking the deity of Lord Venkateswara to Dalit hamlets under ‘Dalitha Govindam’, conducting priesthood training classes for members of Dalit, tribal and fisherman community and appointing them in temples built in their colonies etc. happened during his tenure. The creation of Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC), the TTD’s own broadcasting arm, was also his brain child.
Referring to the stiff resistance from various quarters, especially the rival political parties, to the ‘well-intended’ decisions taken by the temple management, he recalled that he had always welcomed constructive criticism, but would not budge to undue pressure in the garb of protecting the religious sentiments of the devout.
“I will strive to restore the glory to the centuries-old Tirumala temple”, the chairman-designate said.
