HYDERABAD : Disappointing several aspirants for the post of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday constituted a Specified Authority to manage the world’s richest temple of Lord Venkateswara with Principal Secretary (Revenue-Endowments) as its chairman.
The Specified Authority was entrusted with the responsibility of setting right the TTD administration, plug loopholes to eliminate malpractices and protect the sanctity of the Tirumala temple. The existing Board of TTD, headed by former MP Kanumuri Bapiraju, ceased to exist following an amendment brought in by the Chandrababu Naidu government to the relevant Act.
After the AP Government issued GO cancelling temple committees set up by previous government and AP endowments minister P Manikyala Rao assuring that there was no proposal with the government to appoint specific authority to TTD, aspirants started lobbying for the posts of chairman and members of the committee.
However, the chief minister’s decision had surprised everyone. After TDP came to power in the state, the list of aspirants for the TTD chairman post has been growing bigger and bigger.
Though there were many leaders strongly lobbying for the TTD chairmanship, Narasapur MP Gokaraju Gangaraju, Rajahmundry MP Maganti Murali Mohan, Narsaraopeta MP Rayapati Sambasivarao, former MLAs Chadalawada Krishna Murthy and Gali Muddukrishnam Naidu were among the front runners. Gangaraju’s father Rangaraju worked as the chairman of the TTD in 1970s.