Even world-renowned pilgrim centres like the Tirumala are no exception for Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, to loot, observed former chairman of Tirumala, Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, Putta Sudhakar Yadav.

Sudhakar Yadav told media persons that Jagan, along with his gang looting the pilgrims of the most renowned temple in the world, the Tirumala. The Chief Minister revised the rents of the rooms from Rs 150 to Rs 1,700 and from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000, Sudhakar Yadav said, adding that the State government did not make any changes in the rooms but only revised the rents.

“What is astonishing is that the advance being collected from the pilgrims as security deposit is not being refunded,” he stated.

Even since Jagan Reddy came to power, the darshan of Lord Venkateswara to the pilgrims has become so difficult that they have to wait for days if not a week for the dashan. “Earlier the pilgrims were confident that they would have darshan of the Lord maximum in hours, if not in a day. But now they are sure when they will have the darshan and will return home. This is the prevailing situation on the Seven Hills,” he observed.

This apart, there is no proper maintenance of the accounts for the hundi collection and other assets of the Lord and no proper accounts are being submitted to the authorities on the donations being given by the pilgrims, Sudhakar said.

Even the annual functions like the Vaikunta Ekadasi are being turned into a day of collections, the former TTD Trust Board chairman remarked and stated that the pilgrims are being subjected to looting under the guise of the TTD.

“I really feel ashamed to say that the world’s most famous temple is being ransacked and I demand that the TTD officials ensure that there are no hurdles for the pilgrims for the darshan of the Lord,” Mr Putta Sudhakar Yadav said. He also wanted that the rents of the rooms be brought down and the security advance be refunded to the pilgrims.