BJP leader G. Bhanu Prakash Reddy filed a PIL in Andhra Pradesh High Court challenging the utilisation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) funds amounting to ₹100 crore every year for sanitation and cleanliness works in four zones of Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC).
He stated in the petition that spending TTD funds on non-religious activities is in violation of Section 111 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act of 1987 and Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.
The TTD Board passed a resolution approving the allocation of ₹100 crore per year in its recent meeting and invited tenders through e-procurement for the works. These tenders are likely to be finalised in the TTD Board meeting scheduled to be held on December 16.
The TTD resolution is for maintenance of colonies and all roads in Tirupati (daily fogging, collection of garbage, manual sweeping of streets, footpaths etc).
In the PIL submitted to the court by his advocate Y. Balaji, the petitioner pointed out that the TTD is maintained with donations and Kanukas (gifts) given by devotees and these funds have to be spent only on temple administration, religious programmes and welfare of the devotees.
“The TMC had a surplus revenue of roughly ₹4,984 lakh in 2023-24 and a capital surplus of ₹253 lakh, therefore, implementing the Corporation works with TTD funds is meaningless and unwarranted,” Mr. Bhanu Prakash Reddy observed.
