TTD denies allegations by former chairman over land swap

Tirupati, Aug 25 (IANS) Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), on Monday, denied the allegation of former TTD Chairman and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy that 20 acres of prime land is being swapped with a low-value land of the Andhra Pradesh's Tourism Department.

TTD, which manages the affairs of Sri Venkateswara Temple, issued a statement denying the allegations of Karunakar Reddy, who had accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of conspiring to surrender highly valued TTD property to Oberoi Hotels under the guise of land exchange.

The TTD said that it was on November 24, 2021, that the Tourism Department in the previous YSRCP government allotted 20 acres to the Oberoi Hotel at Alipiri on the sacred land located at the foothills of Lord Venkateswara.

As various Hindu organisations, saints and the devotees have been raising objections, the TTD Board at its meeting on November 18, 2024, passed a unanimous resolution that this sacred land should not be allotted to the Oberoi Hotel and should be handed over back to the TTD.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, during his visit to Tirumala on March 21, promised to take steps to see to it that no unholy activities take place in the sacred place adjacent to the Seven Hills.

In this context, the State Tourism Department agreed to give the land adjacent to the Lord's feet on the northern side of the TTD, but made a request that the land on the other side of the road be allotted in exchange of this land, it said.

Following this, the TTD Trust Board passed a resolution on May 7 giving its consent for the exchange of the land and also wrote to the state government to this effect.

"With the sole intention of preserving the sanctity of Tirumala and keeping in view the future needs for the convenience of the devotees, the TTD has decided to utilise the sacred land located available to the northern side of the road. It is a known fact that several constructions have already taken place on the southern side of the Alipiri-Cherlopalli road due to which the land available on the southern side of the road is allotted to the Tourism Department and the TTD has taken the sacred land on the northern side which is close to the Tirumala Hills," the TTD said.

However, Karunakar Reddy reiterated his allegation and opposed the transfer of TTD land to the Tourism Department, describing it as a serious violation of sanctity.

He said that as a two-time Chairman, three-time Board Member, and local of Tirupati, he firmly believes TTD land must never be handed over for non-religious purposes.

Karunakar Reddy questioned how the land on the northern side is considered sacred, while the southern side is not.

He reminded that land was given earlier for noble causes -- Aaravind Eye Hospital, Tata Cancer Hospital, Ruia Hospitals, and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- all serving people with blessings of the Lord.

He contrasted this with the allotment of 20 acres to Oberoi Hotels between Aaravind and Tata Cancer Hospitals, asking if TTD land is meant for hotels serving meat and kebabs.

In an earlier statement, Karunakar Reddy claimed that 20 acres of prime TTD land worth nearly Rs 1,500 crore in Tirupati Urban limits are being swapped with low-value land from the Tourism Department located in rural areas.

This, he said, would inflict a loss of more than Rs 1,000 crore on TTD.

He added that a special TTD meeting was convened on May 7 with a single agenda of land exchange, and within a month, on August 7, the government issued a government order approving the deal.

The agenda papers deliberately avoided mentioning land valuations and even referred to the TTD property as "Inam land" donated to the temple by devotees making the conspiracy even more questionable.

--IANS

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