Use land given by donors only for religious activities, TTD told

TIRUPATI: The assets protection committee, instituted to appraise the assets of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has recommended the temple trust to ensure that all the land assets donated by devotees should be utilised only for religious activities.

A meeting on TTD’s immovable assets with the committee was held here on Thursday, under the Chairmanship of TTD EO Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy with JEO Health and Education Sada Bhargavi as convenor. TTD Estates Officer Mallikarjuna was also present.

The assets protection committee comprises Sringeri Sharada Peetham CEO Gauri Shankar, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham representative Retd. Chief Justice Seetharama Murthy, Mantralaya Peetham representative Sridhar Rao, TTD board members Vaidyanathan Krishnamurthy, Govind Hari, veteran journalist K. Ramachandra Murthy and social activist Bayya Srinivasulu.

They recommended the temple body to utilize all assets for religious activities only and also to utilise assets with small areas for setting up goshalas for stray cattle and Gita mandiram, which are useful to the local people. They recommended strategic plans within a fixed time frame to look into the issues.

Earlier, the committee members were appraised about TTD assets across the country from 1974-2014 and also on the latest status of the assets and assets pending in courts.

It may be mentioned here that the TTD Trust Board has already resolved that the land assets donated by Srivari devotees should never be sold away and the committee is tasked to examine feasibility of utilisation of properties, which are in no way viable to TTD.

Meanwhile, during his remarks after the review meeting, Jawahar Reddy directed officials to utilise the properties in a manner not to hurt the sentiments of donors and ensure that they were used only for spiritual activities. He also called for a re-examination of lease policy terms.