Tirupati: The TTD reinstated Dr AV Ramana Deekshitulu will return as the chief priest, all the Pradhana Archakas / Archakas (Chief Priests/Priests) on Friday who were forcibly retired in May 2018 by the then TDP Government. The reinstated Pradhana Archakas / Archakas who were belonging to the Mirasi families, all the priests, who are similarly situated and retired under the controversial decision in May 2018, will be restored to their earlier respective positions.

The orders were issued as per the High Court judgement delivered in December, 2018. According to the TTD new orders, Dr AV Ramana Deekshitulu will return as the chief priest of the famous hill shrine. Members of the Gollapalli, Peddinti, Tirupathamma and Paidipalli families have been serving at the Tirumala temple for generations on hereditary basis. What the controversial decision of the board under the TDP regime did was to do away with the hereditary system in a way by fixing retirement age for them.

The same was challenged in the high court the same year by two priests, Seshadri and Murali, who were forcibly retired. In its verdict, the high court had held the TTD decision fixing retirement age for hereditary priests unconstitutional and ruled that hereditary priests belong to a special category intended as custodians of a temple’s customs and traditions, and cannot be treated as normal employees.