TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy on Friday said that the inoculation programme would be extended to all the employees working in the TTD in the next two weeks.
Mr. Reddy, who took stock of the prevailing conditions in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19, instructed the officials to initiate steps for reimbursement of medical bills to the employees availing themselves of treatment for the virus at private hospitals.
Expressing his condolences, Mr. Reddy promised all help to the families of the 15 employees who had succumbed to the virus.
“Employees working in Tirupati will also be offered the option of attending to duties in 50:50 ratio on par with those working in Tirumala. Special beds with oxygen and ventilator facilities will be set up at BIRRD hospital in Tirupati exclusively for the benefit of the employees,” Mr. Reddy said.
Appeal to devotees
Reiterating that all the guidelines must be strictly adhered to while in Tirumala, Mr. Reddy appealed to the devotees suffering from cold, cough and fever to postpone their pilgrimage.
“Those cancelling their pilgrimage can avail darshan on any day before the end of the year,” he said.
He also pointed out to the downswing in the booking of darshan tickets despite the TTD releasing15,000 tickets daily during the month of May.
Organic products
Mr. Reddy also said that the TTD, on an experimental basis, shall use organic farm products in the daily ‘naivedhyam’ to the presiding deity from Saturday, and later extend it to the preparation of ‘laddu’ and ‘vada’ and the ‘nitya annadanam’.
For the purpose, the TTD, besides encouraging the farmers of both the Telugu States in growing organic products, is considering taking up organic farming in the lands donated to it.
Later, Mr. Reddy inspected the Vaikuntam queue complex and supervised the availability of hand sanitizers and social distancing methods adopted.
Additional EO A.V. Dharma Reddy and member-trustees Sekhar Reddy, Shiv Kumar and Murali Krishna were among others present.
