Tirupati Municipal Council Rejects Land Sale Proposal For Smart City Project Funding

The general body meeting, chaired by Mayor Dr R. Sirisha at the SV University Senate Hall, saw TMC commissioner N. Maurya present the agenda. A total of 47 members, including corporators, ex-officio, and co-opted members, were present. Of them, 34 opposed the land sale and 13 supported it. Most of those opposing the move were YSRC corporators.

According to sources, the proposal involved auctioning prime municipal land, estimated at ₹15 lakh per ankanam, at a significantly reduced price of ₹60,000 per ankanam to raise funds for the COC, which remains 40 per cent incomplete due to lack of funds.

YSRC corporators objected to the undervaluation and urgency of the sale, urging alternative funding options. Emphasising the need to protect public assets, the Mayor said “We must explore ways to complete the project without auctioning valuable municipal land. This land belongs to the public”, she said.

Tirupati MLA Arani Srinivasulu defended the proposal, stating that the government had advised using unused corporation assets to complete infrastructure projects. Acknowledging the opposition, he announced the formation of a committee to examine the feasibility of the land sale. “The committee will submit a report in 15 days, after which the council will meet again to take a final decision”, he said.

Meanwhile, the council approved funds for the maintenance of Prakasam Park and Vinayaka Sagar. In light of the monsoon, it also sanctioned the clearing of silt from city drains, construction of CC roads and drainage canals, and stormwater infrastructure. Approval was also given for hiring rental vehicles for officials and a ₹3,000 additional payment for 38 outsourced workers in the street lighting department.