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Source: The Hindu

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/02/21/stories/2005022105150500.htm)

 

Andhra Pradesh

  

 

TTD board approves Rs. 676-crore budget

 

 

 

By Our Special Correspondent

 

 

 

 

TIRUPATI,

 

 

FEB. 20.

 

The TTD Trust Board today approved a Rs.675.86 crore budget for fiscal 2005-06,

which is Rs.26 crores more than its 2004-2005 budget. Of the total income, the

hundi collections alone account for Rs.279 crores, while the sale of laddus is

expected to fetch the temple Rs.42.5 crores.

 

Other receipts are Rs.116 crores by way of interest on investments, Rs.68.22

crores from the sale of different paid seva tickets, Rs.33.25 crores through the

sale of Rs.25/- special darshan tickets, Rs.27.5 crores from the cottages and

choultries and Rs.63.29 crores as miscellaneous receipts.

 

The payments side shows a bulk out-go of Rs.123.456 crores towards the wage bill

which is nearly Rs. 10 crores more than last year's.

 

 

Major outflow

 

 

 

The next major outflow is Rs.116.5 crores towards creation of fixed assets

followed by Rs.100 crores earmarked for other debt-heads. The other expenses are

Rs.95 crores towards grants and contributions, Rs.44 crores towards the making

of `laddus,' Rs.85 crores towards investments and Rs.68.64 crores towards

miscellaneous expenses. The Board, which met today at Tirumala with its

chairman, T.Subbarami Reddy, in the chair, also approved the TTD's revised

budget for the year 2004-05. In the customary post-budget press briefing, the

chairman denied once again that there was any move to divert the TTD's surplus

and reserve funds to private banks and non-banking financial institutions. He

also denied media reports on the reported move to hike the cost of some of its

prime sevas and the `VIP break' seva tickets.

 

 

Two new sevas

 

 

As for some other major decisions taken by the Board, one related to the

bifurcation of its Dharma Prachara Parishat into three divisions and location of

a division each in all the three regions to ensure its decentralisation and

improvement in its operational efficiency. Incidentally, the board earmarked

Rs.20 crores in its current fiscal for the DPP, which is charged with the task

of propagation and preservation of values, cultural heritage, spiritualism,

especially among the vulnerable sections.

 

The board also decided to introduce two new sevas `Go Puja' and `Go Danam'

for the benefit of the pilgrims. Under the `Go Puja' scheme, those who intend to

perform the puja at Tirumala would be allowed to do it at a specified place for

a specified tariff to be worked out later. Similarly, those desirous of donating

cows to the temple also could fulfil their vow and the modalities for this are

also being finalised. The board also decided to introduce a `ksheera danam'

scheme under which children and elderly persons would be supplied free of cost

either in the queue complex or at specified places.

 

The TTD's Executive Officer, A.P.V.Narayana Sarma, and the Endowments

Commissioner, I. Venkateswarlum, also attended the board meeting as its

ex-officio members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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