The post of chief security officer for the temple — meant to be filled by a DSP-rank police officer — has been vacant for the past three years. In the absence of a qualified senior officer, a temple employee holding the rank of superintendent is handling the responsibilities.

The CSO position was created to coordinate the work of multiple security teams, including private security agency staff, home guards, armed police and SPF constables. Without proper monitoring, these teams are functioning without effective supervision.

While roll calls are being held for all security personnel, they are not being used to brief staff on vigilance or duty-specific guidelines, leading to mistakes.

The temple’s security infrastructure is also falling short. Only a few door-frame metal detectors are in place, and some scanners are reportedly not functioning. This makes it easier for prohibited items to go undetected. A total of around 500 CCTV cameras have been installed in the Srisailam area, and a command control room has been set up near the executive officer’s office.

However, the cameras are monitored by security guards who also have to manage other duties like queue line monitoring, reducing their ability to focus entirely on surveillance.

Trained home guards that have experience in the police department are mostly being assigned to traffic control rather than core temple security. This gap has allowed incidents like hundi thefts to go unnoticed or be detected too late, as inexperienced guards are deployed in critical areas.

Temple sources say that when the CSO post was filled in the past, security arrangements were far more efficient. They warn that leaving this post vacant for such a long period is leading to avoidable risks and could endanger both temple property and devotee safety.

A senior temple official said that most officials are not interested in joining as CSOs, as the role requires staying in the temple town and overseeing activities. The decision has now been left to the state government for further action.