In a bid to end speculations over donation of immovable properties to the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD), the Special Invitee to the Board J. Sekar has urged the management to publish details of such contributions on the official website.
On an average, over 75 lakh devotees from across the country visit Tirumala, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy, in Andhra Pradesh and a majority of them belong to Tamil Nadu. The monthly income of the temple, mostly by way of public contribution, is about ₹ 225 crore. This apart, devotees donate immovable properties to the TTD.
The management of properties ran into a controversy last week after TTD announced to go ahead with a 2016 decision to sell about 50 assets, mostly in Tamil Nadu, through public auction. Some questions were also raised over the details of donations made over the years.
In a letter to TTD Chairman, Mr. Sekar said in order to bring about transparency, the details of immovable properties donated by devotees over the years should be published on the website and updated at regular intervals.
The details may include comprehensive information including the names of donors, land/building and its type, area and extent of the land/building, survey number, location and address of the property, date on which received/registered, gift deed information, etc.
“By providing the entire information on all such properties in our official website, we will be able create a transparent and clear picture of the disclosed information to the general public and thereby improve the credibility and standing of the TTD Board in the minds of the people, besides showing our accountability for all our actions involving the donations,” Mr. Sekar.
According to official sources, the TTD in its board meeting held through videoconferencing on Thursday approved the proposal of Mr. Sekar.