‘Don’t believe in fake news’: TTD clarifies on caution deposit row

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has once again urged devotees not to believe in “misleading campaigns” concerning the delay in receiving refunds on their caution deposit.

In a statement, the TTD said individuals with vested interests were running a malicious campaign against it by claiming that the caution amount deposited by devotees was being used by the state government and therefore the reimbursement is getting delayed.

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The TTD on Monday filed a complaint against TDP MLC M Ravindranath Reddy, also known as B. Tech Ravi, accusing him of spreading rumours about the temple trust.

Explaining the transfer process, the trust said that once devotees vacate the room they had booked online or current, the caution money is either sent to Federal Bank or HDFC Bank before 3 pm the next day. The banks complete the refunding process by midnight of the same day to merchant services and the refund is credited to the devotee/customer’s bank account the next day.

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In case any devotees through email or through call centres raise complaints on the delay in crediting of the refund, the TTD will request them to enquire the same with the concerned banks, the trust said in the statement.

RBI norms mandate the caution deposit to be refunded within seven working days. The TTD, however, is refunding the money to devotees through UPI since July 11 this year, to be able to process it within four to five days.