TTD Trust Board to promote Sanatana Dharma in a big way

Tirumala: The reconstituted TTD Trust Board headed by the Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy at its maiden meeting held here on Tuesday resolved to take up Sanatana Dharma Pracharam on a massive scale with a focus on Hindu youth and also construct 2 huge pilgrim complexes at a cost of Rs 600 crore in Tirupati down the hills.

Addressing the media along with EO Dharma Reddy on the decisions taken at the Board meeting, Chairman Karunakar Reddy said the meet resolved to extend VIP Break Darshan facility to youth aged 25 years and below along with their families who write ‘Govinda Koti’ as in the style of Ramakoti and a One-time Darshan facility to those (below 25 years) who write Govinda Namavali for 10,01,116 times and also distribute one crore copies of Bhagavad Gita books to 1 crore students studying LKG to PG.

The TTD would build another Venkateswara Swamy temple in Mumbai at Bandra at a cost of Rs 1.65 crore and Information Centre at a cost of Rs 5.35 crore. The entire amount will be donated by the Trust Board members of TTD. It also approved reconstruction of folk Goddess temple of Moolasthana Ellamma in Chandragiri at at a cost of Rs 2 crore.

To provide accommodation to nearly 20,000, the board approved Achyutham and Sripatham Pilgrim Amenities Complexes (PACs) construction in the place of existing 2,3 Choultries behind Tirupati Railway Station which are over seven decades old buildings and also sanctioned Rs 49.5 crore for the repairs of TTD employees quarters.

The Board has resolved to write to the government for approval for filling up of 413 vacancies of religious staff including Archakas, Paricharikas, prasadam distributors, Potu workers in TTD and also give nod to fill up 300 posts in the Super Specialty Paediatric Hospital which includes 29 specialist doctors, 8 duty doctors, 15 administrative staff, 7 Paramedical and 241 staff more and 47 teachers posts at the TTD-run Veda Pathashalas. The Board has sanctioned Rs 33 crore towards the construction of roads and infrastructure development in the TTD employees housing colony coming up at Padiredu Aranyam village, on repayment basis, Rs 4.15 crore for development works of TTD employees quarters at Keshavayanagunta, Bairagipatteda, Vaikunthapuram, LS Nagar in the city and Rs 32.73 lakh for additional sanitary staff for keeping the environs clean during the twin Brahmotsavams at Tirumala.

A notable decision taken at the board’s first meeting was sanctioning money for the development of the Corporation roads and the chairman said it was in the larger interests of pilgrims visiting Tirumala.

The roads include the construction of BT Road from YSR Marg to Samavai Marg along with the Eastern Side of Srinivasam PAC in Tirupati, widening of existing 80 ft Master Plan Road to an extent of 2.90 km from RTO Junction in Karakambadi Road to Sri Padmavathi Flour mill in Renigunta, Development of Road (1.135 km) from Hero showroom in Renigunta Road to Tiruchanuor Road near Hotel Grand Ridge near Tirupati, financial assistance or interest free loan to the TMC for laying of 1100 mm dia balance MS pipeline between MD Puttur to Mangalam Pumping Station including the enhancement of pumping machinery to Municipal Corporation of Tirupati.

This decision was intended to supply of 20 MLD of water to TTD run hospitals in Tirupati at 50% subsidy, the Chairman explained. It has also been decided to provide financial assistance to the Corporation for laying of 600 mm dia DWC pipeline from SVIMS to Panchamukha Anjaneya Swamy temple via Town Club.

The Board has resolved to increase the ex-gratia amount from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh to the six- year-old girl Lakshita who was killed in leopard attack on Alipiri footpath.

Earlier, addressing the new TTD Trust Board members at Tirumala, Bhumana Karunakara Reddy said they should dedicate themselves to the service of devotees and make use of the divine opportunity as board members to enhance the TTD reputation and keep up the trust reposed on them by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

TTD chairman condemns Udayanidhi’s comments on Sanatana Dharma 

TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy condemned Tamil Nadu minister Udayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma. Speaking to the media in Tirumala on Tuesday, Reddy observed that it is not correct to attribute caste to Sanatana Dharma as it is not a religion but a way of life. Many are ignorant of this fact attributing caste to Dharma which lead to unrest in the society. The remarks were not good to Udayanidhi also, he said.