Tirupati: Set back to arrangements at Sri Balaji District Collectorate

Tirupati: In a major setback to the ongoing arrangements at Sri Padmavathi Nilayam in Tirupati for the new transit administrative building of Sri Balaji district, the AP High Court directed the District Collector not to make any alterations in the premises. Hearing a petition filed by BJP spokesperson G Bhanu Prakash Reddy of Tirupati, the High Court on Tuesday asked the TTD to file a counter in the case and it was posted to March 29.

TTD has built Sri Padmavathi Nilayam near Tiruchanur as a pilgrim's amenities complex in 5.35 acres by spending about Rs 75 crore. As it was away from the city, TTD was somehow not keen on utilising it for the required purpose and kept it vacant for several months and finally leased out to APTDC on a rent of Rs 1.80 crore per annum. But, within days of its taking over, APTDC had to go out of it to make it a Covid care centre. The most convenient facility with about 200 rooms and five dormitories in two blocks and five floors was felt suitable for housing the new district's transit administrative building.

Following the government's request, TTD Trust Board agreed to handover the facility to it on a temporary lease basis. The works in the complex were going on at a brisk pace to complete in the next one week so that it will be ready to start functioning from April 2. Partitions, false ceiling works, workstations and many other works are now going on there.

BJP has strongly opposed TTD Trust Board's decision to give the complex built with devotees' funds to house a government office and filed a writ petition in the High Court. Its leader Bhanu Prakash said that it was not proper for the TTD to misuse the building built with devotees' funds. He recalled that in the past TTD has given away another building for Tirupati urban SP office which was not vacated still and fears that Padmavathi Nilayam will also be the Collectorate for an indefinite period. Admitting the petition, the court asked the Collector not alter the nature of the building till further hearing.

Now, it has to be seen, how the district administration moves ahead with its plans of making arrangements for the new Collectorate to start functioning from the stipulated date of April 2. If the High Court's decision goes against the government, it has to search for another building immediately and make alternative arrangements there which need some more time.