TTD earmarks ₹ 53.62 cr for revamp of Padmavati medical college

Anantapur: The TTD Trust board meeting at Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala on Saturday unanimously resolved to spend ₹ 53.62 crore towards construction of TB-chest and skin isolation wards and staff quarters-cum-hostels for Sri Padmavati women’s medical college in Tirupati.

Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy presided over the meeting, which was attended by TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy, endowments commissioner S. Satyanarayana, board members and LAC chiefs.

Briefing the media later, Subba Reddy said they had also constituted a committee, comprising TTD board members S. Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Sanath Kumar and Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy to deliberate with Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) and AP Markfed corporations to fix rates for purchase of 12 organic products meeting their requirements.

Subba Reddy said that about ₹ 14 crore has been sanctioned for construction of a cold storage, ₹ 18 crore for a new godown in Alipiri and ₹ 4.32 crore towards protection and raising of civet cats under a secured shelter at SV zoological park. Approximately ₹ 4 crore has been earmarked for development works of the auditorium at SV College in New Delhi.

They have decided to organise grand Brahmotsavams at Sri Venkateswara temple in New Delhi from May 3 to 13.

Tenders will be called for renovation and development works at Tataiahgunta Gangamma temple in Tirupati for which ₹ 3.12 crore has been allotted.

The board also approved a donation of ₹ 10 lakh worth silver kavacham for Sri Bedi Anjaneya by a Guntur-based devotee Alapati Taradevi.

It was decided to complete all pending Srinivasa Setu works and make them functional by June 15. The board resolved to appoint regular teaching staff in TTD general schools, junior and degree colleges alongside the existing contract faculty.

As permissions given to TTD to receive donations from foreign and NRI devotees had expired in January 2020, the board has already applied for its renewal under FCRA (Foreign contributions Regulations Act).

“As part of the process, the TTD has been clarifying issues raised by the Union home ministry. Some objections were raised on interest on deposits by contributors based abroad due to technical issues between FCRA and the state endowments department”, the chairman said.

Subba Reddy added that the TTD has already paid a fee of ₹ three crore as advised by FCRA officials towards renewal. “We are negotiating with the Union home ministry seeking a waiver of this amount,” he said.