TTD to shut hotels on Tirumala, serve free food to pilgrims
TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board of Trustees, which met under the chairmanship of YV Subba Reddy on Thursday, decided to increase issuance of Sarva Darshan and Seegra Darshan tickets and allow devotees to take part in Arjitha Sevas in a phased manner in view of relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions by the Centre and the State government. The TTD had stopped all Arjitha Sevas since March, 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
The TTD, which approved its budget for the financial year 2022-23 with an outlay of Rs 3,096.40 crore, clarified that there is no move to increase the prices of Arjitha Sevas. It was decided to replace hotels and fast food centres at Tirumala with free Annaprasadam (food) distribution centres with an objective to provide the same food to all.Owners of hotels and fast food centres will be issued licences to do other business on the hill shrine as an alternative arrangement.
TTD Chairman Subba Reddy said the Trust Board approved the proposal to construct Sri Padmavati Children’s Hospital at a cost of Rs 230 crore, as suggested by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. A target has been set to complete the project in two years.
It was decided to lease out Sri Padmavati Nilayam at Tiruchanoor to the Andhra Pradesh government to house the Balaji District Collectorate. The TTD will resume 50 out of 70 acres allotted for the Science City and build a Spiritual Centre. The TTD will sign an MoU with NEDCAP to get solar power steam for 25 years to Sri Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasada Bhavan for preparation of Anna Prasadam, he explained.
Subba Reddy said it was resolved to revive the old Annamayya Margam to Tirumala and approach the Forest Department to take up development works on the ancient route. A TTD delegation will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray within a month to seek allotment of land for Venkateswara temple in Mumbai, he added.
TTD Executive Officer KS Jawahar Reddy, Endowments Principal Secretary Vani Mohan, Endowments Commissioner Hari Jawaharlal, TUDA Chief Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, and board members attended the meeting. Later, the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad Mandali meeting was held at Annamayya Bhavan. In was decided to publish Srinivasa Vrata Vidhanam books and provide wide publicity to the ritual.
Rs 3,096.40 crore TTD budget for 2022-23
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has proposed Rs 3,096.40 crore budget for 2022-23, which is Rs 95.64 crore more than the revised budget estimates of Rs 3,000.76 crore for 2021-22
Key decisions
- The TTD will release Rs 150 crore in a phased manner for the construction of Garuda Varadhi and ensure its completion by December. It has already released Rs 100 cr for the project
- The TTD has approved computerisation of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) at a cost of Rs 2.73 crore
- The TTD will set up Rs 25 crore fund for provision of cashless treatment to its employees and pensioners in corporate hospitals
- The TTD to build a permanent mandapam in place of Nada Neerajanam shed at Tirumala
- The TTD Ayurveda Pharmacy to supply Ayurvedic products all over AP, besides procuring equipment worth Rs 3.60 crore
- The TTD to take up feasibility study of gold plating of Tirumala temple Maha Dwaram, Bangaru Vakili and Gopuram
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