TNN

Tirupati, Dec 3: The AP legislative committee on public undertakings has found fault with the security apparatus in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)  for safeguarding the jewels donated to the Lord by devotees.

The committee felt that much needed to be done to shore up the security system. Committee chairman E Pratap Reddy said here on Wednesday that TTD should send gold jewels dropped in the temple hundi to the Bombay mint for converting into gold dollars while the precious stones like rubies, emeralds should be sent to the TTD treasury. “There is an urgent need to enumerate the value of the stones lying in the treasury for long,” he opined.

He also found fault with the secrecy being maintained by TTD officials about the revenue generated through the sale of human hair. “A small temple in Prakasam district earns about Rs 3 crore and Srisailam temple earns Rs 2 crore a week through the sale of human hair. It is surprising that the richest temple in the world where nearly 10 million people tonsure their heads in a year records a paltry Rs 60 crore revenue,” he said.

When the committee broached the issue of laying a ropeway to Tirumala, opposition party leaders strongly opposed it on the ground that it would violate the sanctity of the hill shrine.

The members earlier suggested that the TTD increase the number of beneficiaries under the Vidyanidhi trust to 5,000 students from the existing 1,000.

The TTD launched the trust in 2007 to pay a stipend of Rs 300 per month to 1,000 BPL students across the state.