TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board on Friday decided to purchase water at `36 a kilo litre from the Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC) to quench the thirst of the pilgrims and residents of Tirumala and the visiting pilgrims during summer. For this, it was decided to sanction `82 lakh a month for fetching of six MLD to seven MLD of water from the TMC.
The Board, which met under the chairmanship of Kanumuri Bapiraju at Annamayya Bhavan, took several decisions.Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Bapiraju said that ‘Annadanam’ would now be called ‘Annaprasadam’ officially to enable the donors to tax exemption benefits under 80-G of the Income Tax Act.
Bapiraju said the TTD had successfully persuaded the govenment to issue a GO in this regard and added that the Board had directed the officials concerned to send the copies of the GO to the Income Tax and Sales Tax departments to enable the donors to avail themselves of the tax benefits. “There were problems when it was called ‘Annaprasadam’ instead of ‘Annadanam’. With the change of the name of the scheme, the benefit will be for both sides as the donors can get 80 G benefits. The TTD, on the other hand, can avail itself of the same benefits on the huge deposits of the scheme. Also, when the TTD purchases ingredients in huge quantities, it can avail of the same benefits,’’ Bapiraju said.
The Board has also sanctioned `12.85 crore for the purchase of 30.63 lakh kg of rice for three months from the Rice Millers Association of AP at `42 a kilo. It also sanctioned `1.68 crore for the purchase of 4.3 lakh kg of jaggery at a cost of `38.1 per kilo. Another `nine crore was sanctioned for the purchase of 22 lakh kg of Bengal Gram and `1.35 crore for buying 1.5 lakh kg of green gram.
The Board approved the total income of `239.68 crore revenue from the sale of human hair for the year 2013-14 fiscal. Meanwhile, to improve the supply of ‘laddus’, the Board has also extended the contract of 332 ‘potu’ (temple kitchen) workers for two years and also extended the contract with contractor to engage with 147 private workers for two years.
The Board has sanctioned `1.9 crore for appointing 186 outsourced staff to protect the forests from wild fire atop Seshachalam hill range.The Board has also sanctioned `2.55 cr for the purchase of 108-inch LED television sets for 32 compartments in the First Vaikuntam Queue Complex to engage the pilgrims while they wait for their turn to have the ‘darshan’ of the Lord and sanctioned `15 lakh for the maintenance of the televisions.
Other Decisions
* TTD decides to release Rs 1.20 crore for constructing a dormitory at Tadwai in Warangal
* To give away the Rajapalyam kalyana mandapam in Tamil Nadu on lease to PAC Ramaswamy Rajah Educational Charity Trust
* To give away space available on Madhavam for BSNL to erect mobile tower
* The TTD decided to use the interest on the 4,320 kilo reserve of scrap gold and bars to purchase more gold and deposit it in the banks again
* It was also decided to hand over the maintenance of central median gardens in Tirupati to the forest department.