Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) A.V. Dharma Reddy has denied the allegations of routing the Srivani Trust funds to the State government.
“The allegations are mendacious and baseless,” Mr. Dharma Reddy told the media on Saturday.
“The funds are being utilised for the construction and renovation of the temples in the two Telugu-speaking States,” he said. So far, about ₹516 crore has been received by way of sale of donation-linked Srivani darshan tickets.
Mr. Dharma Reddy said the TTD had resolved to construct 1,342 temples in the SC, ST, BC and fishermen colonies in the two Telugu States. Accordingly, it had already constructed 502 temples in the first phase. The construction of 111 temples would be taken up in the second phase in collaboration with the Samarasata Foundation with an allocation of about ₹10 lakh to each temple, he said.
To ensure ‘dhoopa’, ‘deepa‘ and ‘naivedhyam’, the TTD had resolved to provide a monthly grant of ₹2,000 to each temple and impart ‘archaka’ training to the hand-picked youth at its SVETA institute.
Special audit
To ensure more transparency in the spending of the trust funds, a special audit team had been constituted, which shall visit every temple and estimate its construction and maintenance costs, he said.
The TTD had taken up renovation of over 110 ancient temples with the funds, he said, and exhorted the people not to get carried away by the rumours doing the rounds in the social media. He also assured to post the details of the spending of the trust funds on the official website.
Gold coating of ‘Anand Nilayam’
In reply to a question, he said the modalities for providing gold coating to the ‘Anand Nilayam’, the two-tier canopy above the sanctum sanctorum of the temple of Lord Venkateswara, were being worked out, and deliberations with the pontiffs, Agama pundits and priests of the temple were under way. “A final decision will be taken at the ensuing meeting of the board of trustees,” he said.
In reply to another question, Mr. Dharma Reddy said the ‘bhoomi puja’ for the construction of a new temple of Lord Venkateswara in Navi Mumbai would be finalised soon after securing the CRZ nod.
