Row over TTD's decision to allocate 1 pc annual revenue for Tirupati development

Tirupati: The decision by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board to allocate one per cent of its annual revenue for the development of Tirupati city has ignited a political controversy.

While some parties criticised the decision, residents, local leaders and social activists took exception to the “politicization” of the decision even as it is bound to promote the temple city's growth and well-being.

Tirupati city, the gateway to the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, has long been a focal point for Tirumala-bound devotees. In line with TTD’s commitment to the temple city's development, the trust board chose to allocate one percent of its revenue every year to MCT.

However, the BJP alleged that the decision was politically motivated. Retired bureaucrat I.Y.R. Krishnarao, a former TTD executive officer and ex-state chief secretary, asked whether the civic body would, instead, allocate 1 per cent of its revenue to TTD. Tirupati's economic growth owed much to the presence of the Tirumala shrine, he pointed out.

BJP spokesperson Bhanuprakash Reddy criticised the TTD trust board, saying this demonstrated the undue influence it faced from the government. He questioned the government's penchant to access temple funds collected by offerings from devotees, while no funds were sought from churches or the Waqf Board.

Deputy mayor, Abhinay Reddy, condemned the allegations and said the TTD's contributions to the city were substantial. “TTD manages prominent Hindu shrines in Tirupati such as the Govindaraja Swamy temple, the Kapila Theertham temple, the Kodanda Rama Swamy temple, the Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple and the Padmavathi Ammavari temple. TTD has several guest houses, pilgrim amenities complexes and its own administrative building located in Tirupati,” he noted.

Abhinay Reddy said TTD and MCT are now part of a task force dedicated to transforming Tirupati city into a world-class centre for Hindu pilgrimage. The allocation of one per cent of TTD's revenue to MCT was aimed at facilitating development that would benefit both local residents and visiting devotees, he said.