VIJAYAWADA: Almost one year after the end of term of the previous Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board, the State Government on Friday issued orders reconstituting the TTD Board with a tenure of two years.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, despite not inducting anyone from the neighbouring Tamil Nadu into the board this time, has selected two members from Telangana and one each from Karnataka and Maharashtra. The TTD Chairman and three board members hail from Rayalaseema region, the remaining seven members from AP belong to Coastal districts.
Putta Sudhakar Yadav, who is a relative of Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, has been appointed the TTD Chairman. The Trust Board of the world richest temple comprises the Chairman, 14 members and three ex-officio members.
Interestingly, Narasaraopet MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, who vied for the TTD Chairman post, has been made a member of the board. Similarly, TDP MLAs, including Gouthu Syam Sunder Sivaji (Palasa of Srikakulam district), Bonda Umamaheswara Rao (Vijayawada Central) and Vangalapudi Anitha (Payakaraopeta), who aspired for ministerial berths during the Cabinet expansion last year, have become the board members. Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Narayana Murthy retained her membership. In February, 2017, she was appointed the board member after the government removed G Sekhar Reddy, who was arrested for possessing a huge pile of cash, including the newly-introduced Rs 2,000 notes and demonetised currency, gold and fixed assets in Chennai. TDP MLA from Telangana Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and Telugu Desam leader E Peddi Reddy have got the opportunity to serve as the board members. Sapna Mungantiwar, wife of Maharashtra BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, has also been made the member.
Penukonda MLA BK Parthasarathi, Challa Ramachandra Reddy, a TDP leader from Chittoor, Meda Ramakrishna Reddy from Kadapa, who is the brother of Government Whip and Rajampet MLA Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy, Rudraraju Padma Raju, who switched loyalties to TDP from Congress, and Dokka Jagannadham, TDP organising secretary from East Godavari, and Potluri Ramesh Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of SMS Pharmaceuticals and a close relative of Supreme Court Judge NV Ramana, have also been appointed members. According to sources, Dokka Jagannadham, a Brahmin, has been made the board member at the instance of IT Minister N Lokesh, as he had played a key role in mustering the support of the community to the TDP. The TTD Executive Officer, Special Chief Secretary (Endowments Department) and Endowments Commissioner are the ex-officio members of the board.
Newly constituted TTD Trust Board
Putta Sudhakar Yadav - Chairman
GSS Sivaji, MLA - Member
Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, MLA - Member
Vangalapudi Anitha, MLA - Member
BK Parthasarathi, MLA - Member
Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, MP - Member
Challa Ramakrishna Reddy - Member
Potluri Ramesh Babu - Member
Rudraraju Padma Raju - Member
Meda Ramakrishna Reddy - Member
Dokka Jagannadham - Member
E Peddi Reddy (Telangana) - Member
Sandra Venkata Veeraiah (Telangana) - Member
Sudha Murthy (Karnataka) - Member
Sapna Mungantiwar (Maharashtra) - Member
Endowments Special Chief Secretary - Ex-officio Member
Endowments Commissioner - Ex-officio Member
TTD Executive Officer - Member Secretary (Ex-officio)