New TTD board to meet today in Tirupati

Tirupati: The first meeting of the reconstituted TTD trust board will be held in Annamaya Bhavan, Tirumala, on Monday. Before the meeting, the 35 new members (excluding the chairman who is already in office), including ex-officio and special invitees, will be sworn in at a ceremony in the temple from 9 am to 10.30 am.

Apart from oath taking, the first meeting of the board is likely to discuss issues like cut in money being given to Venkateswara Temple at Amaravati from Rs 150 crore to Rs 50 crore.

The other issues that are likely to come up for consideration are the proposal of the TUDA to hand over the funds allocated for the development of Avilala tank to them and permit them to take up developmental works. Another issue that may be discussed is the proposal to construct Garuda Varadhi. The board in all probability will approve this proposal as well.

It is the 50th TTD trust board constituted by the government for the management of the Sri Venkateswara temple and also other shrines under the control of TTD. It may be noted here that the number of the members of the trust board which was 19 had been increased first to 25 and later 36 by the YSRCP government making it the largest since the board came into being in 1933.

The increase in the strength of trust board evoked criticism from the opposition parties, more so from BJP on the ground that it would prove a burden for TTD without serving the purpose of pilgrims, and also for packing the board with big wigs.

Interestingly, the YSRCP government took three months for the constitution of the TTD board even after the appointment of chairman in June this year. Immediately after coming to power, the YSRCP government appointed party senior leader from Ongole Y V Subba Reddy as chairman but for one reason or other dilly dallied on the reconstitution of the board which was at last completed with the formation of a jumbo trust board.

The rich Hindu temple was under the control of Mahants of Sri Hathiramji Mutt, Tirupati, since 1842 till it was brought under the control of a separate committee of 7 members under the endowments department of the then Madras state in 1933.

The number was reduced after the formation of Andhra state in 1951 and was again increased to 11 after the formation of a separate TTD Act. In 1987, the trust board strength was increased by the government to 15 which remained for long till the previous government increased it to 19. It was the TDP government which introduced the post of 'special invitees' and appointed three for the post and now the special invitees rose to 7.