Salem (Tamil Nadu): More than one-and-a-half decades later, a devotee from Tamil Nadu's Salem nears compensation, after a 2006 ordeal saw him being denied an opportunity to participate in the 'Melchat Vastram' seva at the Tirumala. Ruling in favour of KR Hari Bhaskar, a native of Alagapuram in Salem district, the Salem Consumer Court recently said that the action amounted to deficiency in service. The devotee had paid Rs 12,250 on June 27, 2006, in order to book a slot for the temple service for 2020. Come 2020, however, the situation brought only distress for the Salem resident.
Also read: Exclusive: NOC for mosque construction in limbo while Ram Temple works speed up
Permission to partake in the service was received on July 10 on 2020, but the allotted period saw temple premises closed off due to the COVID pandemic. While TTD authorities offered a break darshan or a refund, Hari Bhaskar denied it, stating he would only participate in the 'Melchat Vastram' service. A subsequent refusal saw him take the issue to the consumer court. The July 18 order, by a bench of the Salem district Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, observed that TTD's decision amounted to 'deficiency in service and mental agony', directing temple authorities to assign a date and allow Hari Bhaskar to participate in 'Melchat Vastram' within a year, failing which the TTD have to pay Rs 45 lakh as compensation.
