Andhra Pradesh   

Tension at Tirumala darshan counter

TIRUMALA: The serene temple atmosphere on Tirumala Hills was today shattered when devotees raised slogans against the TTD management at the cellar darshan tickets issuing counter (ATC 115), located in the vicinity of the massive Vaikuntam queue complex.

Officials manning the counter stopped issuing the cellar entry darshan tickets this morning for the benefit of devotees performing Kalyanotsavams.

Though this procedure is normal, things were thrown out of gear with a large number of devotees seeking special cellar entry tickets.

Heated arguments

The devotees entered into heated arguments with the counter staff. They demanded that senior TTD officials talk to them.

With tension mounting, the TTD vigilance and security officials tried to calm the agitated crowd, but failed.

The situation was brought under control only after the arrival of the TTD Special Officer A. V. Dharma Reddy, who explained the reasons for non-issuance of darshan tickets.

He assured the agitated devotees that the token would be issued to them in the evening.

Spate of complaints

The cellar darshan ticket-issuing counter, which takes care of devotees with VIP recommendation letters, has been facing increasing criticism about arrogant behaviour of the staff and their alleged connivance with middlemen.

In the recent past, an NRI family from South Africa lodged a written complaint with the special officer - narrating the humiliation suffered at the hands of the staff manning the counter and their indulgence in unethical practices in providing darshan tickets.

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