HYDERABAD: The State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed the Telangana Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (Amendment) Bill 2025, paving the way for creation of the Yadagirigutta temple trust board on the lines of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams of Andhra Pradesh.
Introducing the Bill, Endowments, Forests & Environment Minister Konda Surekha outlined the objectives behind establishing the Yadagirigutta temple trust board. She said there has been a substantial increase in flow of pilgrims and devotees to Yadagirigutta temple, which currently attracts more than 50,000 devotees per day.
The minister said that the state government has planned several developmental projects, leveraging various technologies, to improve infrastructural facilities in a bid to make the Yadagirigutta Devasthanam a more welcoming and accessible place of worship.
“Recognising the temple’s religious and cultural importance, the government planned to develop Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Yadagirigutta and its surroundings as a temple city area. To achieve these objectives, it is essential to form a trust board consisting of community leaders, technical experts, and representatives from both governmental and non-governmental organisations,” she said.
The minister also said that the Bill would facilitate creation of trust boards for temples with over Rs 100 crore annual income.
“The annual income of Yadagirigutta Devasthanam for the year 2023-24 was Rs 224 crore. The annual income of Vemulawada Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple is Rs 187 crore,” she said.
“The proposal to establish a threshold of income at Rs 100 crores to classify temples in a separate league introduces a quantitative criterion that could impact the governance of such institutions. This criterion would allow the government to appoint trustees with necessary calibre, experience and dedication for efficient and effective temple management,” she said.
“The Rs 100 crore income threshold serves as a measurable standard to determine which temples require special administrative attention, as temples generating this level of income need robust governance and often play active roles in social, cultural, educational, healthcare and welfare initiatives,” she added.
“The income of other temples such as Basara Sri Gnana Saraswati temple (Rs 64 crore), Bhadrachalam Sree Seetha Ramachandraswamy temple (Rs 55 crore), Komuravelli Mallikarjuna Swamy temple (Rs 45 crore) and Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy temple (Rs 26 crore) are also good,” she added.
Stating that the number of devotees visiting Yadagirigutta has increased considerably after the government launched its free bus service for women scheme, Surekha said that it is imperative on the government to create infrastructure accordingly. She said that an efficient board comprising senior members would be required to achieve it.
Plan to start Vedic institutions
The minister also revealed the government’s plan to start Vedic educational institutions under the Yadagirigutta temple trust board.
She said that the committee would have 18 members with a two-year tenure, while an IAS officer would be appointed as the executive officer. The committee members will not be paid any salaries but will be provided allowances. The government will make budgetary allocations for the board.
BRS MLA T Harish Rao extended full support to the Bill, and lauded the efforts of the officials who drafted it.
The BJP members also extended their support to the bill. However, they underscored the inadequate arrangements in place at various temples across the state.
BJP MLA Palvai Harish Babu, meanwhile, said that the state government was not making any arrangements for Godavari Pushkaralu.