Middlemen Menace: TTD to use facial recognition to curb unauthorized bookings

Tirumala : Inorder to maintain transparency in providing online and offline services for the pilgrims in the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD), the temple management has decided to get rid of the middlemen. It is said that the measures were initiated after the TTD Executive Officer (EO), J Syamala Rao instructed the officials after a detailed data analysis. According to the management’s investigation, both the online and offline services offered by the TTD are being exploited by the middlemen, as they collect money from the devotees to felicitate darshan and accommodation facilities.

Further, the TTD in an official note multiple bookings are being made through single mobile numbers. “The booking data for the past one year was analyzed in various online, which are Special Entry Darshan, DIP, Accommodation, Sevas, Virtual Sevas etc., and offline services, which are Slotted Sarva Darshan, Sarva Darshan, Accommodation Current Booking etc., services and observed that bulk bookings were made by the middlemen using the same mobile number, mail ID and ID proof.”

The TTD has also detailed some of the major fraudulent booking observations that it encountered during its analysis. “Over 110 rooms availed with the same mobile number in Current Booking at Tirumala, 124 bookings having 12 or more rooms, availed in last one year in Current Booking at Tirumala, 807 accommodation bookings using the same mobile number in online booking, 926 accommodation bookings using the same email id in online booking,1279 DIP registrations in one year using the same mobile number, 48 DIP registrations in one year using the same mail ID, 14 tokens availed in Slotted Sarva Darshan using the same ID proof and many such instances.”

TTD blocks several mobile numbers and identities of middlemen

In order to counter the same, the TTD has blocked all the mobile numbers, mail IDs and ID proofs that are used for such fraudulent bulk bookings.

Meanwhile, the TTD also said that it would come up with a facial recognition system and would not allow any bookings made by the middlemen. “The bookings made by the middlemen for the pilgrims, will not be allowed to avail the service and the cancellation of bookings will be notified to the registered mobile numbers of pilgrims.
TTD is taking thoughtful steps to ensure the genuine pilgrims get the service without depending on the middlemen, using Facial Recognition System, restrictions on bookings using mobile, email and ID proofs and is also taking steps to use Aadhar services for proper authentication and validation for offering more transparent services to the pilgrims.”