Tirumala, April 07: The gold offerings deposited in Srivari Hundi of Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala have touched 3000-kg mark and they will be deposited with State Bank of India instead of taking to Government Mint in Mumbai and converting them into gold dollars.
The decision was taken at the TTD Board meeting held here today under the chairmanship of DK Audikesavulu Naidu. “SBI itself will see that the gold deposited with it is taken to Mint in Mumbai for converting them into gold dollars which are sold to the devotees in Tirumala temple. This is in tune with new banking laws. The bank will provide interest at 1.5 per cent for the duration of the deposit, that is from the time gold is deposited to till gold dollars are received from it. It will also save the transportation and security arrangements made by TTD,’’ Audikesavulu Naidu said while briefing mediapersons of the decisions taken at the board meeting.
He said the Board had in principle agreed to develop Sri Venkateswara Divya Kshetram at Kurukshetra for which Government of Haryana provided land.
“It was also decided to hold Srivari Kalayanam at New Jersey and San Francisco in USA as per schedule. Ten priests and staff have been finalised and 15 more are being shortlisted. TTD will not be bearing any expenditure as the sponsors are purchasing the idols used for Kalyanam under TTD’s Alaya Shilpa Vitharana Scheme. Board members too can come but at their own expenses,’’ he said.
The chairman said TTD had decided to procure nine more scanners in a bid to intensify security measures at the Alipiri Security Checkpoint. The check point has 11 lanes but has only one scanner at present.
The Board had also decided to do away with annual auctioning of human hair, the highest revenue earner for TTD every year and decided to conduct it every three months from now on. “The decision was taken in view of increasing quantity of human hair at stock points and diminishing quality on account of storage for long duration.
From now on there will be no segregation of hair and the lot will be sold to highest bidder in the auction, which will start from the last year’s upset price,’’ he said.
The other decisions of the TTD Board include widening of road at 7th Mile on Ghat Road, where footpath intersects with it and providing roof cover for it.
TTD Dharmika Advisory Council chairman PVRK Prasad has been given an extension of two years. TTD Board has also approved the decision to procure 12 trucks for Marketing department of which six will be purchased in the first phase.
–Agencies