COVID-19: Undeterred By Losses, TTD To Pay Full Salaries To Its Employees 

TIRUPATI: Despite a Rs 400 crore revenue loss due to the corona lockdown, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) board which governs the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, has expressed confidence that it can continue paying full salaries of its 23,000 staff for the coming two to three months. It also stated that it has not implemented a pay cut for its staff despite the lockdown.

Known to be one of the richest temples in the country the TTD has lost its daily earnings through the cash offerings made by the devotees who used to come in thousands every day. However, the Tirumala shrine has other sources of income like interest on fixed deposits to feed its 8,000 permanent employees, besides the 15,000 outsourced staff at this hill shrine located on Tirumala.

TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy said the board has been incurring a loss of Rs 200 crore per month, ever since the temple was closed after the Centre imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24 in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19. TTD had implemented entry curbs to the temple from March 20 itself as a precaution.

"Despite severe financial constraints, TTD would be in a position to manage (full) salary payments to all its permanent staff and outsourced workers, and pensioners for the next two or three months," the Chairman said.

Alternative sources of income like fixed deposits, yield a whopping Rs 700 crore annual interest, a temple official said. It has Rs 12,000 crore in FDs in various nationalised banks, which ensure the said returns. About 2.5 crore devotees visit the temple annually, the official added. Though the 2000 year-old shrine remains closed in line with the national lockdown, the priests are conducting all rituals uninterruptedly as per tradition.

Besides being involved in many charitable activities, TTD has several educational institutions and health care facilities under its control to serve the needy public and these aspects are also being taken care of, Subba Reddy added. (With PTI inputs)

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