TTD Land Swap with Tourism Department Sparks Row

Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has alleged that the move is a cover to hand over the TTD land near Alipiri to private commercial organisations.

At a trust board meeting held under the chairmanship of B.R. Naidu in Tirumala on Wednesday, the TTD board approved a proposal to exchange 24.68 acres of land in Survey No. 588A, located in Tirupati Urban mandal, with an equal extent of land in Survey No. 604 at Peruru village in Tirupati Rural mandal.

According to a TTD statement, the land in Peruru will be taken over by TTD in exchange for its own parcel in Urban mandal. The board also resolved to accelerate the process of swapping an additional 10.32 acres of land in Tirupati Rural mandal, for which it is seeking necessary clearances from the state government.

However, YSRC spokesperson and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy lashed out at the decision. He alleged that the move paves the way for a luxury hotel project near the sacred Alipiri area, just 2.5 km from Srivari Padala Mandapam.

“This land swap has been approved in an emergency board meeting—called for the first time in TTD history with just one item on the agenda. It’s not about pilgrim facilities but to benefit a private hotel chain,” Bhumana charged.

He alleged that the land in Survey No. 588A, being handed over to the APTA, is of high commercial value. It is linked to the controversial Mumtaz Hotel project, which had been shelved due to public opposition.

Karunakar Reddy accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of double standards, recalling that he had strongly objected to a similar hotel proposal under the YSRC regime, claiming it would violate the sanctity of Tirumala. “Why sacrifice TTD land when the government has vast vacant land near the Tirupati airport,” he questioned.

He called on spiritual leaders and Hindu communities to speak out against the move. “This isn’t just land—it’s a matter of faith and reverence,” he remarked.