CITU: Tirupati Devasthanam should Disclose deal with Amazon

Tirupati, Dec 30: Central Indian Trade Union (CITU) Chittoor district General Secretary K Murali on Thursday demanded that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) should disclose its deal with the Amazon for online selling of calendars and

diaries at high stakes.
In a statement, Murali said Amazon had hiked online prices of TTD products almost 10-20 times and provided discounts as a marketing technique. Presenting documents like screenshots of Amazon catalogs, the CITU leader said the Rs 15 worth calendar of Srivari-Ammavari calendar was listed at Rs 299 and later a discount of Rs100 offered with each sale.
He said the Rs130 worth 12 page  colourful calendar was listed at Rs 799 and later offered at Rs 499 after discounts. Similar was the online pricing of deluxe diaries ( Rs 315 instead of cost price Rs 150 & small diaries at Rs 285 instead of cost price of Rs 120), he said.
He said all such acts were illegal and hurt devotees’ sentiments as many logged for online purchases and found the pricing exorbitant and criminal commercialisation in the name of Sri Venkateswara.
He said the TTD which took stringent action on staff members for selling laddu Prasadam for Rs 10 more than cost price has given permission to Amazon for selling diaries and calendars online at spiraling prices which in other words was looting the innocent devotees.
He urged the TTD to disclose whether the agreements with the Amazon were individually or institutionally signed by the officials.
He demanded the TTD to stop blatant black marketing of TTD products by Amazon and also urged the state government to direct TTD to stop such deals which blackened the reputation of the religious institution.