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Move to ‘privatise’ Padmavathi Nilayam leads to controversy

TTD cites lack of manpower as reason for handing it over to private players

Updated - April 30, 2019 07:08 am IST - TIRUPATI

Padmavathi Nilayam pilgrims complex was built at a cost of ₹68 crore at Tiruchanur in Tirupati.

Padmavathi Nilayam pilgrims complex was built at a cost of ₹68 crore at Tiruchanur in Tirupati.

Immediately after getting sucked into the vortex of an avoidable dispute in the gold scheme, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) appears to be heading for another controversy, this time with the Sri Padmavathi Nilayam, built in Tiruchanur on the city outskirts.

The new pilgrim accommodation complex developed at a cost of with ₹68 crore is strategically located on the Tirupati Bypass (Chennai-Bengaluru highway) and close to Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple, and hence the management expects a heavy footfall of pilgrims coming by their own vehicles. From the southern outskirts, the pilgrim parties can motor up the ‘Garuda Varadhi’ (now under construction) to reach Alipiri and drive further to Tirumala hills on the north.

The multi-storeyed complex is in the eye of a storm as the TTD board decided to invite tender-cum-open auction for licensing it. The resolution No. 644 taken at the board meeting held on February 19 bears testimony to the TTD’s ambitious move to give away the building to private parties for maintenance, even before its formal inauguration, though it was ready three months back.

Facilities

The imposing building with eight floors has 200 rooms, prayer hall, ‘kalyana katta’, spiritual library, dormitories (air conditioned and non-AC), room allotment counters, e-darshan counters, banks, restaurant, dispensary and even bus-stops for APSRTC and AP Tourism fleet. The 200-foot highway is the most-used stretch to reach the city for pilgrims from Vijayawada, Chennai and Bengaluru, and as such the property is in great demand.

However, the TTD has cited lack of adequate manpower as the reason for handing it over to private players for management. Interestingly, the same TTD maintains ‘Srinivasam’, ‘Vishnu Nivasam’ and ‘Madhavam’ complexes downhill and even plans to build similar facilities at Alipiri to reduce the strain on precious resources like energy and drinking water on Tirumala hills. “We have invited tenders for managing the building and are awaiting response,” TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal acknowledged.

Few takers for tenders

Though the TTD has notified tender twice, there is apparently lacklustre response from players for reasons not known. When the building situated right on the highway has no takers, questions are being raised over the proposal to build similar projects in Alipiri, abutting the Tirumala forest. Congress leader P. Naveen Kumar Reddy threatened to oppose any such proposal to privatise TTD properties.

“Already jobs in security checking, laddu counters and parking lots have been outsourced and at this rate, TTD will soon become a private company,” he remarked. Instead of privatisation, he appealed to the TTD to fill the thousands of jobs remaining vacant.

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