Potu workers stir hits laddu production in Tirumala

Tirupati, Aug 11 :

Of late, many pilgrims visiting the Tirumala temple have been leaving the precincts without receiving the customary laddu prasadam in the last one week.

The sudden fall in laddu production at the Potu raised because the contract workers abstained from duties alleging that they are not being paid their salaries by contractors.

About 60 contract workers abstained from duties, demanding prompt payment of salaries. They urged the TTD authorities to redress their demands.

Generally, the pilgrims get the laddus after darshan of the Lord or just before leaving Tirumala. The shortage has forced many of them to stand in queues for more than three hours to get laddus. Many outstation pilgrims had to leave  Tirumala  without laddu prasadam, the most sought after item from the temple as they had to  rush to catch the train or bus to reach their destination. This  has upset many of the pilgrims who had to leave the place with a lot of resentment.

They complained that their attempt to bring this issue to the notice of the special grade deputy executive officer (temple), deputy executive officers (reception) and assistant executive officers failed as they turned a deaf ear to the pilgrims’ complaints and are more concerned about the VVIPs.

“Though the shortage of laddu has became a perennial  problem, authorities have not not come up with any concrete plans to solve the issue, much to the discontentment of the pilgrims,” said an official.

According to reliable sources, earlier some 1.5 lakh laddus were prepared every day at the temple, with one laddu  being provided at free of cost  to each pilgrim. But  at present  only 30,000 laddus  are being prepared while the number of pilgrims  visiting the temple is approximately about 50,000 hence the shortage o pilgrims who come for a darshan.