BJP alleges huge corruption in the engineering wing of TTD

Party leader Naveen Kumar Reddy says he will write to Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the issue

Published - June 09, 2024 08:55 pm IST - TIRUPATI

Govindaraja choultries in Tirupati was demolished and reconstructed at a cost of ₹600 crore for kickbacks, alleges BJP leader Naveen Kumar Reddy

Govindaraja choultries in Tirupati was demolished and reconstructed at a cost of ₹600 crore for kickbacks, alleges BJP leader Naveen Kumar Reddy | Photo Credit: File photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kicked off a controversy by alleging large-scale corruption in the engineering wing of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), in the garb of ‘reverse tendering’, as promoted and popularised by the outgoing YSR Congress Party government.

The party leader P. Naveen Kumar Reddy cited the example of Govindaraja choultries situated behind the Tirupati railway station, which he said was hurriedly demolished. “The huge complex was brought down in a hurry, only to be reconstructed at a huge cost of ₹600 crore, involving commissions for the political intermediaries and officials,” he alleged at a media conference here on Sunday.

The TTD engineering wing’s annual budget used to be ₹150 crore in the past, which had been hiked to a whopping ₹1,500 crore, Mr. Naveen alleged, adding that he would write to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the issue.

He also suspected foul play in the award of tenders worth ₹200 crore for renovation of SVIMS super specialty hospital and demanded CID inquiry into the issue. “After tenders are called for, the authorities insist on reverse tendering, which is a proxy to demand their ‘cut’ from the final figure,” he alleged.

“Every resident of Tirupati should join the fight to safeguard Lord Venkateswara’s funds and resist any attempt by political leaders to swindle funds from the TTD exchequer,” he said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.