Confusion prevails on the TTD swearing in, role of new trust board special invitees

TIRUPATI: The 50-odd members appointed by the state government to the TTD trust board are clueless as to whether they will be invited for the swearing-in as special invitees. The order, GO-RT-569, issued by the state Government has led to confusion among various circles including the TTD as regards the roles for the 50-odd special invitees.  

While the GO appointing the 50-odd members from different Indian states only stressed on the need to appoint them as special invitees to the board, it doesn’t elaborate on their roles and functions in the trust board. The order only stated that these  special invitees are given privileges on par with members of the TTD trust board regarding darshan and their tenure is conterminous with the TTD board.

“We did not receive any note from the TTD regarding the swearing in of the special invitees and their roles and functions. All the special invitees to the previous trust board were formally sworn-in and they even took part in the board meetings. We are expecting the same now,” said R Kumaraguru, former AIADMK MLA and ex-TTD board member, who has been nominated as a special invitee to the new board.

It may be recalled that the state government, on Wednesday last week, constituted the TTD trust board by issuing three separate GOs (GO-MS-245; GOs-RT-568 and 569).

The state, at first, released GO-MS-245, constituting a 28-member trust board, including four ex-officio members. Following this, the government released GO-RT-568 through which Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Brahmin Corporation chairman Sudhakar were appointed as special invitees.

As per the GO, the two special invitees will not have the voting right while passing resolutions in the board but will be accorded protocol on par with the trust board members. Following this order, Tirupati MLA Bhumana was administered oath as special invitee on Sept. 16.

As GO-RT-569 stated that the 50-odd special invitees are to be given privileges on par with members of the TTD trust board regarding darshan and that their tenure is conterminous with the TTD board, confusion prevailed among them about their swearing in and their role and functions in the TTD board.

“As the two special invitees appointed in the first category to the new board were being sworn-in, the 50-odd special invitees in the second category should also be formally sworn in,” Kumara Guru said.

He wondered what would be their role in TTD if they were not allowed to attend the board meetings.

Meanwhile, TTD circles have made it clear that there will be no swearing-in for the 50 special invitees and they will not be permitted to take part in the trust board meetings. They, however, have the privileges on par with the TTD trust board members regarding darshan.