AP govt declines TTD trust board’s proposal to allocate 1% of annual budget for Tirupati development

The Special Chief Secretary to government (Endowment) R Karikal Valaven issued a memo on Friday.

Amaravati: The state government has declined the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board’s proposal to allocate 1% of its annual budget towards comprehensive development of Tirupati city. This would have amounted to around Rs 36 crore.

R Karikal Valaven, special chief secretary, Endowments, issued an order to this effect, noting that the state government did not agree with this proposal.

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“The attention of the executive officer, TTD, Tirupati is invited…that the proposal to create a fund by allocating one per cent of TTD’s annual budget for development of Tirupati is not agreed by the government,” Valaven said in the order.

On October 9, the TTD board chaired by B. Karunakara Reddy resolved to spend 1 per cent of the temple body’s annual budget or Rs 36 crore every year for the development of Tirupati town.

TTD governs the famous Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala among others.

The TTD board decision had ignited a political controversy in the state. 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.