Rentals of ordinary rooms not hiked: TTD

TTD executive officer Dharma Reddy clarified that there was no increase in the rentals of rooms allotted to ordinary devotees.

Tirumala: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) executive officer Dharma Reddy on Thursday said that it was wrong to say that the rentals of cottages at Tirumala were hiked and clarified that there was no increase in the rentals of rooms allotted to ordinary devotees.

Talking to media persons here, he said it was unfortunate that some talked without getting the detailed information and therefore he had to come out with the facts. “There are 7500 rooms in Tirumala. Apart from these, there are four free accommodation complexes for pilgrims. Ordinary devotees can stay there free of cost and there are lockers, food and bathroom facilities. There are 5,000 rooms at Rs.50, and Rs. 100 rentals and these rentals remained the same for the past 40 years. After this government took over, the rooms were modernised with Rs.116 crore. The Rs.50 rental room of TTD will cost Rs.2,000 at a private hotel. The expenditure for geyser, room cleaning and power bill will all work out to Rs.250. But still, the rentals of rooms given to ordinary devotees are not hiked. There are 1230 rooms at Rs.1000 rentals. All these are non-AC rooms and devotees who book special entrance darshan will be allotted these rooms online,” he explained.

The EO also said that the rentals of rooms in Padmavati and MABC areas are higher. The facilities were also more and normally VIPs stayed there. The rentals of 1344 rooms at Narayana Giri and SV Guest House were hiked. The VIP rooms at Padmavati guest house area were modernised at a cost of Rs.8 crore, he disclosed. “The TTD did not hike the rentals for revenue. The decision was taken to ensure uniform rentals for all AC rooms. We have spent Rs.5 lakh on each room and by hiking the rentals, the TTD will get only a nominal revenue,” he stated.