TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao and
Chief Post Master General B.V. Sudhakar handing over a Rs.300 darshan ticket to
a woman devotee at the Tirupati Head Post Office on Monday.
Buoyed by the success of the pilot project of
issuing ‘Rs.300 special entry darshan tickets’, Department of Posts (DoP), in
association with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has decided to extend
the service through all the 95 head post offices in Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana from Monday.
The project, offering TTD’s darshan tickets,
was envisaged on December 1 last year through nine post offices across five
districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the intention of reaching out to
more people. Positive reviews emerging from various corners of the two States
prompted the officials to launch the facility through head post offices.
Inaugurating the services at Tirupati's Head Post Office here on Monday, TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao said this method of booking would be more pilgrim-friendly when compared to internet booking/e-darshan as majority of the population including rural masses would have access to post offices.
Inaugurating the services at Tirupati's Head Post Office here on Monday, TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao said this method of booking would be more pilgrim-friendly when compared to internet booking/e-darshan as majority of the population including rural masses would have access to post offices.
As many as 5,000 tickets would be allocated by
the TTD in different slots for post offices falling under the project. Devotees
could book the tickets four weeks in advance so as to plan their itinerary. The
facility would also be available at sub post offices at Narasampet (Warangal
district) and Madanapalli Bazaar (Chittoor District).
In wake of complaints against internet booking
of Rs. 300 tickets, TTD was contemplating ensuring booking in post offices with
internet facility. To the suggestion of Chief Post Master General B.V. Sudhakar
to enable booking of accommodation and kalyana mandapams through HPOs, Mr.
Sambasiva Rao said the TTD would look into the feasibility of introducing the
facility.
Postmaster General Meera Ranjan Tsering and District Postal Services D.V.S.R. Murthy from Kurnool region, Tirupati Superintendent of Posts T.A.V. Sarma, TTD Deputy Executive Officer C. Ramana, GM Transport Sesha Reddy, EDP Manager Bhaskar and other officials took part.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/
