source: Siasat, May 25, 2007 http://www.siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=183265&Itemid=63&cattitle=Andhra%20Pradesh

Tirumala, May 25: Endowments Minister J. Ratnakar Rao on Thursday categorically said that the State Government was committed to protecting temple lands.

Concrete steps would be evolved to take back the endowments lands, which were already under encroachment.

Talking to media persons after having darshan of the lord, the Minister said that there were more than 34,000 temples in the State and in the majority of the temples the daily `dhoopa', `deepa', `naivedhyams' were not being performed owing to financial difficulties.

The State Endowments Department, in collaboration with the TTD management which is already in the job of providing financial aid to the selected temples in all the districts every month, would henceforth work unitedly to provide some financial succour to all the temples in the State.

Maiden visit

The Minister, who is on his maiden visit to the temple town after assuming the office, patted the TTD management for its efforts in meeting the requirements of the visiting public.

Earlier on his arrival at the temple complex, he was received with the traditional `Isti kapal' temple honours and was also honoured with the Sesha Vastrams of the Lord.

Prominent among others who received him includes the TTD Executive Officer K.V. Ramanachary, Tirumala-based Joint Executive Officer G. Balaramaiah and others.

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