TTD cancels land allotted to Mumtaz hotels at Alipiri; focus is on resolving land disputes, says Chairman

TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu and Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao adressing the media after the trust board meeting, in Tirumala on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board on Monday cancelled the land allotted to Mumtaz hotels at Alipiri in Tirupati, as per the directives of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The temple trust board also resolved to dedicate the areas abutting the foothill for spiritual and religious purposes and prohibit commercial activity in the region. 

TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu and Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao, after a marathon board meeting, told the media that the trust board had vowed to intensify efforts to protect and utilise the temple properties scattered across the country, and prevent unauthorised encroachments.

More emphasis will be on resolving the long-pending legal disputes involving the TTD lands by expediting the process of reclaiming them, the TTD Chairman said.

The TTD board also decided to align only Hindus to serve the institution and explore the feasibility of transferring the employees belonging to alien faiths to alternative governmental institutions, without affecting their dignity. 

It also endorsed the administration’s move of writing letters to various State governments for granting land to the TTD to enable it to construct the Lord Venkateswara temples in all the State capitals.

The board resolved to organise Kalyanotsavams at all the major temples in Andhra Pradesh and extend financial support from its SriVani funds for renovation and construction of temples in small villages, towns and for the benefit of underprivileged communities.

Key decisions  

Other decisions include the change of VIP darshan timing to 5.30 a.m., exploring possibilities of increasing the salaries of potu workers and extending them better medical care, cancellation of donation passbooks provided to donors supplying organic products, undertaking re-construction of some of the VIP and non-VIP guest houses in Tirumala, cancellation of the 20 acres of land allotted for the establishment of the Science City and a museum in Alipiri, working on the feasibility of providing offline darshan to senior citizens and differently-abled persons, formation of a new Agama advisory committee and a committee to address the problems of 151 contract lecturers in the TTD-run colleges.