VIJAYAWADA: A day after the TDP and BJP raised a hue and cry over the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) decision to auction 23 ‘unviable’ assets in Tamil Nadu, Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao hit back at the opposition parties saying neither Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy nor himself will benefit a single rupee from the proceeds of the sale.
Srinivas, speaking to reporters in Vijayawada, said it was the the previous TTD Trust Board which constituted the committee to recommend sale of TTD properties. "The committee was constituted by the previous TTD Board, which was headed TDP leader Chadalavada Krishna Murthy. BJP leader Bhanu Prakash Reddy was a member in the board," he said, adding that the previous board had decided to auction 50 "unviable and unmaintainable immovable" properties.
Unlike the previous TDP government, which issued Government Orders secretly to sell government lands, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has no intention to sell away lands in a discreet manner, Srinivasa Rao said. "Every rupee generated from the auction of the lands will go to the TTD," he reiterated.
Meanwhile in Tirupati, YSRC MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy said the TTD had sold around 100 temple properties when the TDP was in power.
"As per Rule 165 of Chapter -XXII issued in GO Ms No.311, Revenue (Endts 1) Department, dated 09-04-1990, the TTD Board has the right to sale, exchange and mortgage the immovable properties, if it’s is beneficial to the TTD," he said. Bhaskar Reddy said the proceeds of the auction will go the corpus funds of the TTD.
He also lashed out at Chandrababu Naidu for his alleged bid to sell Sadavarti lands at a cheaper rate. The government is no way connected to the matters of the TTD, he clarified. Meanwhile, the BJP announced a State-wide protest on May 26 against the decision to sell TTD lands. Announcing the strike plan, BJP AP president Kanna Lakshminarayana termed the TTD call a “disastrous decision.”