TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board headed by chairman Y V Subba Reddy sanctioned various developmental works worth ₹175 crore. Addressing his last board meeting in Tirupati on Monday, Y V Subba Reddy said the TTD decided to construct crash barriers on the ghat roads at an estimated cost of Rs 24 crore to prevent a rising number of accidents.
“Cancelling L1, L2, L3 categorisation and changing the VIP break darshan timings, cutting down the waiting time for common pilgrims have been the most satisfying decisions in my four-year term,” he stated.
It may be noted that several pilgrim-friendly initiatives and development works were taken by the TTD during the tenure of Subba Reddy, who was appointed as its chairman for two consecutive terms.
Speaking to reporters at Annamaiah Bhavan, Subba Reddy said that the board decided to complete works on the construction of a rooftop from Mokalla Mettu to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on the Alipiri trekking path with an outlay of Rs 4 crore.
TTD approves release of Rs 118 crore to complete works at Srinivasa Setu
As many as 26 more temples would be developed under the SRIVANI trust. The TTD gave a nod for the release of the final instalment of Rs 118.83 crore for the completion of the Srinivasa Setu flyover in Tirupati. With the introduction of battery-operated buses to Tirumala, the board decided to establish a charging station for e-buses in Tirumala at a cost of Rs 2.20 crore.
It sanctioned Rs 14.10 crore for the construction of additional floors at SV Ayurvedic Hospital, Rs 3 crore for the construction of two more floors at the girls’ hostel block and Rs 11 crore for the construction of the boys’ hostel of SV College of Music and Dance, Subba Reddy said. While Rs 9.85 crore was allotted for Sri Venkateswara Nadaswaram School, `5 crore was approved for the developmental works in SV Vedic University.
The TTD also earmarked Rs 4 crore for laying shelter for pilgrims trekking from Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple to Mokallamitta Parvatam, Rs 4.50 crore for the procurement of advanced machinery for making anna prasadams and Rs 4.25 crore for setting up a ghee plant in SV Gosala, he added. The board would also construct a queue complex for the pilgrims in Tiruchanoor at a cost of `23.50 crore.
Meanwhile, Subba Reddy thanked Executive Officer (EO) AV Dharma Reddy and other TTD staff for supporting his decisions and carrying them out in a successful manner to the satisfaction of the pilgrims. Later, he also congratulated his successor and Tirupati MLA B Karunakar Reddy.