Srivani booking system transparent, foolproof: TTD

Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration dismissed allegations over the Srivani tickets booking system made by former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and maintained that its online booking systems are transparent and foolproof.According to the TTD authorities, the online Srivani ticket system, which was launched in May 2019 in collaboration with TCS, continues to be in operation. Based on the requests from the devotees, the current booking system for Srivani tickets was modified, and Srivani tickets were allocated to the devotees through the online mode on a first-come, first-served basis to those devotees who accessed the application first.TTD authorities clarified that because of thousands of devotees attempting to book the most sought-after tickets on a daily basis, the entire quota of 800 tickets a day is booked by the devotees in less than a minute and a half after it’s released.“Subsequently, tickets are issued to those who complete their payment via the payment gateway. If, for any reason, a payment fails to process, the corresponding ticket returns to the general pool. This process is a standard practice implemented in services such as IRCTC and other government-run booking systems”, TTD authorities asserted.The Tirupati trust also clarified that any sort of human intervention is eliminated in this entire process and that the system operates systematically in an utmost transparent manner.In the interest of devotee convenience, TTD has completely abolished the use of “auto-filling” and “copy-paste” mechanisms, thereby ensuring equal opportunities for all.Allaying the apprehensions of the devotees, TTD also clarified that all systems within the TTD undergo an annual audit conducted through AP Technology Services (APTS) to add an extra layer of tech audit and transparency.TTD authorities also dismissed criticism about the temple trust not appointing a full-time IT general manager and clarified that a qualified person, coupled with an extensive 32 years of experience in the IT sector, was appointed solely as the GM (IT) [FAC] (Full Additional Charge) on a stop-gap arrangement.Responding to Bhumana Karunakar Reddy’s claims about not being able to book a Srivani ticket for himself through the online mode, TTD administration made a startling revelation that the ex TTD chief didn’t have sufficient balance in his account to complete the payment procedure and avail of the Darshan ticket.