In Tirupati, former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy dared TDP leaders to a debate concerning the alleged irregularities in the Srivani VIP Darshan ticket booking system. Addressing reporters on Saturday, Bhumana highlighted the severe difficulties faced by devotees when attempting to book Srivani Darshan tickets, which he claimed are exhausted almost instantly.
Online Booking Woes
Bhumana stated that as a former TTD chairman, he personally tried to book a Srivani Darshan ticket online to examine the complaints. He found that the entire quota of 800 tickets was booked and exhausted within a minute after the TTD opened the online booking window at 9 am on Saturday. This rapid depletion, he argued, indicates systemic flaws.
He noted that a few days earlier, the TTD administration admitted that some middlemen are using hi-tech manipulations to bulk-book Srivani Darshan tickets. Bhumana criticized the temple management for doing little to address these issues and restore transparency and confidence among devotees.
Allegations of Mismanagement
Recalling the YSRCP regime's establishment of the Sri Venkateswara Alayala Nirmanam trust to promote Lord Venkateswara's glory by building temples in remote areas of Telugu states, Bhumana alleged that the Srivani trust has become a money spinner for the current regime. He claimed that irregularities in online booking of Srivani Darshan tickets are a classic case of collusion between insiders and middlemen, with reports of middlemen charging up to ₹5,000 above the ₹10,000 ticket price from devotees. He demanded a detailed probe into the alleged scam.
Bhumana also faulted the government for not appointing a full-fledged IT head at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, where all ticketing systems and most administration have moved online. He lamented that while the state government hypes global tech giants like Google, the world's richest Hindu temple trust lacks an IT general manager to manage digital operations effectively.
