Tirupati, Sep 25 : Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Thursday, inaugurated a new pilgrims amenities centre at Tirumala in Tirupati district.

The pilgrim amenities centre Venkatadri Nilayam has been constructed at a cost of Rs 102 crore by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which administers the famous hill shrine.

The new complex comprising of 16 dormitories, 2,400 lockers will provide accommodation free of cost for 4,000 pilgrims, who visit Tirumala without prior booking of accommodation.

The new complex comprises two dining halls with a capacity of 1,400 people and a mini 'Kalyanakatta' (tonsuring centre) for 80 pilgrims.

The complex has been constructed in an area of 2,69,617 square feet.

It has 16 dormitories, each equipped with a mother-feeding chamber.

It is equipped with modern toilet facilities with 24/7 hot water (216 toilets, 216 bathrooms and 12 physically handicapped toilets), continuous R.O. water facility on each floor and 10 high-speed elevators.

After the inauguration, both the Vice-President and Chief Minister went round the complex to see the amenities available for devotees.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu handed over first accommodation token to a women devotee.

The Vice-President and the Chief Minister visited the tonsuring activity, locker allotment system, besides observed the functioning of two AI-enabled identification and sorting machines installed at the Pilgrim Amenities Centre, which allows pilgrims to dispose of tetra-packs and snack packets by logging in via UPI/QR code.

They also inaugurated the innovative double-chute, vision-based colour sorting machines at the Srivari Potu.

These machines are manufactured by Genn Solutions in Coimbatore and donated by the TVS company to effectively sort and remove impurities and foreign particles from the ingredients (except sugar) used to prepare laddu and other prasadams.

Later, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu advised the TTD officials to initiate measures to reduce waiting time for darshan to benefit devotees.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the Integrated Command Control at Vaikuntam queue complex.

When the officials told Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu that 4,500 devotees are having darshan of Lord Venkateshwara per hour, the Chief Minister said that the number should be increased to 5,500 using technology.

He said that strict vigilance should be maintained at Alipiri gate to prevent entry of liquor and other prohibited items into Tirumala.

Chief Minister Naidu said that the rush of devotees should be managed in a right way through command control centre.

He added that cleanliness and greenery should be given top priority in Tirumala and the cleanliness should be monitored through command control centre.

He said the greenery should be developed up to 90 per cent in Tirumala.

Ministers Nara Lokesh, Anam Ram Narayana Reddy, TTD Board Chairman B.R. Naidu and Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal were present.

/IANS