Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Diversion of TTD funds opposed

Special Correspondent

Tirupati: Nearly a dozen BJP functionaries and as many TDP cadres were arrested on Saturday when they were staging a dharna in front of the TTD’s Administrative Officer here protesting against the State Government’s reported decision to divert Rs.350 crore from the TTD funds to implement ‘Concept Schools’ scheme in the State.

Taking a serious exception to the increasing attempts by the Government to ‘siphon’ TTD funds for works not even remotely connected with the TTD and which should in the normal course be implemented only with the Government funds, the BJP and TDP cadres felt that the practice has badly hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees who offer their money to the Tirumala temple hundi only for religious and temple-related works. In a poser to the Government, the BJP leaders in a statement later have asked whether the Government could so ‘daringly’ take even a rupee from the funds of the Wakf Board or the Christian Missionaries.

The BJP said that if the Chief Minister felt paucity of funds for his projects, he should try to secure funds from the Central Government instead of trying to utilise the TTD funds for the secular schemes of the Government. They also lashed at the TTD for trying to ‘please’ the Chief Minister.

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