TTD-style software to streamline protocol darshans at Vijayawada’s Durga temple

Vijayawada: In a bid to bring transparency and accountability to protocol darshans, the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam atop Indrakeeladri will introduce a TTD-style software system on a trial basis from Monday.Temple executive officer V K Seena Naik said the software has been developed on the lines of the system being used at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and will streamline the process of issuing protocol darshan permissions to devotees recommended by public representatives, ministers and senior government officials.Under the new system, recommendations made for protocol darshan will be processed through the software, creating a transparent record of every request and approval.

Once a recommendation is approved, both the recommender and the devotee will receive SMS alerts. The devotee will be informed that the protocol darshan has been approved, while the recommending official will receive a confirmation of the devotees covered under the recommendation.The EO said the software is being introduced in view of the increasing number of protocol requests received by the temple over the last six months.

On normal days, the temple receives around 100 to 200 protocol requests, while the number goes up to nearly 400 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. As each recommendation generally includes three devotees on average, the temple caters to nearly 1,200 protocol devotees on peak days.He clarified that the software does not alter the existing eligibility or protocol darshan system but makes the approval process more transparent and accountable by maintaining a proper record of recommendations.Temple authorities said the system will also enable them to monitor the number of recommendations made by individual public representatives and officials on a given day. The software will be introduced on a trial basis from Monday, after which it is expected to be implemented fully.