AP HC Stays TTD Funds Diversion to Tirupati Municipal Corporation for Sanitation

TIRUPATI: In an interim order, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) not to release funds to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation towards execution of sanitation and cleanliness works in Tirupati city.

The TTD had passed resolutions in October to allocate funds to the TMC for improving the sanitation standards in Tirupati, where millions turn up for prayers round-the-year. The TTD decision faced protests from political parties like the BJP.

The order comes in response to a PIL filed by G. Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a former TTD board member and BJP state spokesperson. He argued that the TTD decision to invite tenders for works of Rs 100 crore for sanitation and cleanliness works was illegal and violated Section 111 of the Endowment Act 1987.

The petitioner contended that spending TTD funds for purposes other than religious and temple management was unconstitutional under Article 25 and 26 of the constitution.

The hearing was done on Wednesday by a division bench of chief justice Dheeraj Thakur and Justice Raghunandan Rao. Balaji Yelamanjula, representing the petitioner, said Tirumala, the seat of the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple, was maintained by the TTD and Tirupati city by the TMC. The TTD funds should be utilised exclusively for religious purposes, he stressed.

Counsel for TTD argued that its decision was influenced by the presence of TTD institutions in the city. The High Court questioned the rationale behind allocating funds when the TMC already allocates a substantial budget for sanitation.

According to the annual report for 2023-2024, the corporation operates with a surplus budget.

During the proceedings, the court learned that the municipal corporation spent around Rs 50 crore on sanitation in the city. The court opined that sanitation and cleanliness works in the city should be the responsibility of the corporation and not the TTD.

The court granted a stay and directed the TTD not to release funds for the sanitation works in Tirupati. It also asked both the TTD and the corporation to file detailed counters within two weeks and adjourned the matter for further deliberation.