Tirupati: TTD sanctions `94 crore for developmental works

Tirupati : The TTD trust board which met here on Saturday approved sanctions to the tune of about Rs 94 crore to various developmental initiatives.

Briefing the media after the meeting, TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy said the sanctions include Rs 53.62 crore towards the construction of TB, chest and skin isolation wards and staff quarters-cum-hostels in SVIMS Sri Padmavati Women's Medical College under TTD control, Rs 14 crore for the construction of a cold storage, Rs 18 crore for new godown near Alipiri Marketing Godown to increase storage capacity.

It also approved sanction of Rs 4.32 crore to SV Zoological Park to set up a separate enclosure for the endangered civet cats for rearing them in a protected but a natural environment in the zoo which is the natural habitat of civet cats for the preservation and promotion of the rare, mostly nocturnal mammal required by TTD for its musk.

The civet musk, a precious perfume (Punugu) which is a must religious ingredient and one of the aromatic substances used in the conduct

of the weekly Abhishekam on Friday. The TTD reared the civet cats and collected the musk segregated from the animal in its SV Goshala for its use but handed over cats to the forest department long back following the direction of the government wildlife life authorities banning the captivity of the animal.

The other developmental works sanctioned include Rs 4 crore for SV College auditorium in New Delhi.

The decisions taken in the meeting include conducting annual Brahmotsavams in Sri Venkateswara temple, New Delhi, in a big way between May 3 to 13, nod for tenders for Rs 3.12 crore towards the renovation and development works at Tataiahgunta Gangamma temple in Tirupati.

Acceptance of the donation of Rs 10 lakh worth silver Kavacham for Bedi Anjaneya by a Guntur based devotee Alapati Taradevi and to appoint regular teaching staff to strengthen the TTD educational institutions including schools, junior and degree colleges.

The board also set up a three-member committee with Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Sanath Kumar and Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy to deliberate with RySS and AP MARKFED to fix the rates for the purchasing 12 organic products from the farmers, to meet TTD requirements including the prasadams in Tirumala temple and also Annaprasadams (free food) to devotees also in Tirumala.

On the FCRA (Foreign Contributions Regulations Act), Subba Reddy said TTD had already applied for renewal of the permission under the Act for receiving foreign contributions i.e. offerings from devotees from abroad. It is still to be renewed, he said, adding that TTD paid Rs 3 crore as advised by the Union home ministry for the renewal and is trying to get a refund of the amount, seeking a waiver from the payment.

As part of the process for renewal, he said the TTD had frequently clarified issues raised by the Union home ministry which raised objections on interest accounting of such deposits by foreign contributors and maintained that the more than three year delay in the renewal was only due to technical issues between FCRA and state endowments department.