Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), March 21 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday that the state government prioritizes protecting the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple and providing services that respect the sentiments of devotees.
During a review meeting with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials, the chief minister issued guidelines to provide the best services to devotees by utilizing technology.
"Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu clarified that the government's goal is to prioritize protecting the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple and providing services that respect the sentiments of devotees," an official release quoting Naidu said.
The CM instructed officials not to compromise on the quality of laddus (consecrated sweets) under any circumstances.
Furthermore, he called for maximum utilization of Srivari Sevaks (volunteers).
Over 17 lakh volunteers are providing services, with at least 3,000 on ordinary days and up to 4,000 on busy days.
Naidu gave some guidelines on the temple body's plans to build 5,000 temples across the state at a cost of Rs 750 crore.
When he personally met devotees, the CM said they expressed satisfaction with the quality of prasadam (consecrated food), emphasizing the need to uphold this trust at all times.
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, he said that the difficulties faced by common devotees in queues should be resolved, including reducing congestion and waiting times.
Meanwhile, officials informed the CM that plans are underway to extend Anna Prasadam (free food) to four more temples besides the 57 temples under the purview of TTD.
Early this morning, Naidu visited the Sri Venkateswara temple here, accompanied by family members on the occasion of his grandson's birthday.
Following the visit, they proceeded to the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamanba Annadana complex to serve food to devotees.
The CM's family has already donated Rs 44 lakh to meet the expenses of serving food to devotees.
So far, the CM's family has donated 12 times for Annadanam (free food to devotees).
As part of his visit to the temple, Naidu also interacted with devotees, inquiring about the quality of laddus and prasadam, while the devotees requested him to ensure faster darshan.
Naidu told the devotees that TTD, the official custodian of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, will deploy Artificial Intelligence to expedite the darshan process.
Furthermore, he told the devotees that the temple body has established an integrated command control center for the convenience of devotees.
Later, Naidu inaugurated a sophisticated and advanced Food Analysis Lab in Tirumala at a cost of Rs 25 crore.
During a tour of the lab, he thoroughly observed more than 50 pieces of equipment as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) executive director Panda from New Delhi and Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) director Giridhar explained their functioning.
TTD's Water and Food Analysis Laboratory in Tirumala ensures safe water and food for pilgrims by testing samples from various sources, said an official release from the temple body.
Funded by FSSAI and the Andhra Pradesh government, the 12,000 sq ft lab has dedicated 6,000 sq ft for chemical and microbiological analyses.
It is equipped with advanced machines to test fatty acids, pesticides, volatiles, mycotoxins, drugs, additives and heavy metals in foods and water.
Other equipment includes fiber, protein and fat analyzers and butyro refractometer and UV-Vis spectrophotometer.
The lab can test raw materials for Srivari Prasadam, Annaprasadam and laddus. It can test up to 1,500 samples every month, the release added.