TTD to retire archakas above 65 yrs
Move comes in wake of criticism of TTD by the head priest
The Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam Board on Wednesday hit back at Tirumala temple chief priest Dr A.V. Ramana Deekshithulu by ordering his retirement through a new rule restricting the employment of the archakas at the shrine to those less than 65 years of age.
Dr Deekshithulu is said to be in his late 60s. On Tuesday he had called for the takeover of the TTD by an expert panel to be consti- tuted by the Centre.
The chief priest had alleged that ancient jewels donated by kings and other devotees several decades ago had disappeared and the state-appointed administrators were violating the Agama Sastra by interfering with the worship rituals.
He had also sought a CBI probe into the jewels disappearance and other administrative issues.
Three other hereditary priests will also lose their jobs at the shrine due to the resolution passed at the first meeting of the newly constituted TTD Trust Board.
The TTD promised employment to the sons of the priests “as per the rules and regulations”. TTD chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav briefed the media about the Board’s resolutions,
When reporters sought the TTD response to the serious charges made by Dr Deekshitulu at his press conference at Chennai on Tuesday, executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal said the board had decided to serve him with a show cause notice seeking his explanation.
Tirumala temple chief priest Dr A.V. Ramana Deekshithulu has to go as he is said to be in his late 60s.
Three other hereditary priests will also lose their jobs at the shrine due to the resolution passed on Wednesday.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board on Wednesday hit back at Tirumala temple chief priest Dr A.V. Ramana Deekshithulu by ordering his retirement through a new rule restricting the employment of the archakas at the shrine to those less than 65 years of age.
Reacting to the TTD resolution bringing in a retirement age for archakas, Dr Deekshitulu told reporters that the resolution was against the Supreme Court order of 1996.
He alleged that the TTD was hitting back at him only because he was trying to expose the irregularities in the temple administration.
“I will fight it legally once I receive the notice officially”, said the chief priest, who holds a doctorate in molecular biology and a renowned authority on the Agamas.
Dr Deekshitulu has been at loggerheads with the TTD for some time now over various issues.
A TTD official claimed that he got upset with the Board after his two sons, Venkata Kumara Deekshitulu and Rajesh Deekshitulu, were transferred from Tirumala to the Govindaraja Swamy temple at Tirupati in November last year on disciplinary grounds for their long absence from work.
It has been the stand of the chief priest that the archakas are performing their duties as ordained by Lord Venkateswara himself and they are not TTD employees. They do not receive salaries and retirement benefits, so they cannot be retired either.
On other issues, Mr Sudhakar Yadav, the new TTD chairman, said a subcommittee has been constituted to oversee the system of depositing the TTD funds in various banks. This followed the recent outcry over depositing the funds in private banks.
The board also gave its nod for the appointment of a Local Advisory Council at the shrine of Lord Venkateswara and Dhayana Mandir at New Delhi.