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.
Post Master General Meera Ranjan Tshering is also seen. Photo: K.V.
Poornachandra Kumar.
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 1st 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.
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.
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