Konda Surekha wants AP govt to initiate measures for addressing issues of Telangana devotees visiting Tirumala

Elected public representatives and leaders from Telangana have been raising objections over TTD for failing to honour the recommendation letters issued by them to facilitate darshan for the devotees.

Hyderabad: Endowments Minister Konda Surekha urged the Andhra Pradesh government to initiate measures for addressing issues being faced by Telangana devotees visiting Lord Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.

Already, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has constituted a committee to look into the issues. This apart, Chief Ministers from both the States had held a meeting and discussed a few issues and this augurs well for the devotees, the Minister said after offering prayers at the Mallikarjuna Swamy temple, Srisailam on Thursday night.

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Elected public representatives and leaders from Telangana have been raising objections over TTD for failing to honour the recommendation letters issued by them to facilitate darshan for the devotees.

Expressing similar opinion, the Endowments Minister said people from Telangana visit Tirumala in large numbers and this generates lot of revenue for Andhra Pradesh government. In the past, the TTD would extend assistance to temples in Telangana, besides Kalyana mandapams (function halls). However, this practice was not being followed by TTD, she said.

There were many ancient and prominent temples in Telangana. The Andhra Pradesh government should take a positive decision towards extending assistance to the temples and Kalyana mandapams also, the Endowments Minister appealed.

“It is unfortunate and our misfortune that we lost Srisailam temple due to Andhra Pradesh bifurcation but our faith towards Mallikarjuna Swamy remains the same,” Konda Surekha said.