*YSRCP demands inquiry into irregularities in sale of Srivani tickets*

Tirupati, May 14: YSRCP has demanded a high-level inquiry into the irregularities in the sale of Srivani tickets, alleging that the online system has been faulty and has given scope for rampant corruption.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy demanded an inquiry into the sale of Srivani tickets through the new online method, which has allegedly given ample scope for the entry of middlemen who are selling them at exorbitant rates.
The scam involves members of the Vigilance and IT departments, besides the TTD Board, and we have been repeatedly highlighting the irregularities in the online methodology.
All 800 tickets are being sold in just over one minute, which is surprising, and they are allegedly being sold outside at Rs 15,000 per ticket by middlemen. This is being done with the connivance of the IT and Vigilance departments and people in the Board. In just four months, about Rs 48 crore has allegedly been looted by them, he said.
Despite the claims made by TTD about updating its software, the tickets are not reaching genuine devotees but are being routed through middlemen who are reaping huge profits, he said.
The IT in-charge has been handpicked even though he does not possess the requisite qualifications and was allegedly involved in a Rs 30 lakh fraud related to Srivari Kalyanotsavams abroad. During our government, we booked a case against him, but the coalition government, instead of recovering the money, rewarded him with the post of GM (IT) after the new technology was introduced.
There has been no security audit for the new software, and the TTD should explain why the auto-filling method was confined only to Srivani tickets and not extended to other services.
We demand an inquiry by a security nodal agency or the CBI to bring out the facts regarding how the system was manipulated and who the beneficiaries are.
During our term, we maintained the highest safety standards, but the coalition government has changed the system, and within four months the entire process has gone for a toss. Even break darshan tickets are allegedly being sold openly, which shows the nature of governance in TTD, he said.