Proposals for providing Endowments lands to TTD came from temples in Anantapur, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, YSR Kadapa, Prakasam, Chittoor (2) and Vizianagaram
Proposals for providing Endowments lands to TTD came from temples in Anantapur, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, YSR Kadapa, Prakasam, Chittoor (2) and Vizianagaram
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD) has decided to construct kalyana mandapams only at places where the land is registered/alienated in its name with full ownership rights as per the existing specifications and not to take up any constructions in the Endowment lands facilitated to it on long lease basis by investing its own funds.
The decision assumes significance as it comes at a time when there is a mounting pressure from public representatives and Endowments authorities to construct new kalyana mandapams in the Endowments lands in their respective towns and constituencies.
With the TTD sounding averse towards constructing new kalyana mandapams, the public representatives and Endowments authorities have come up with a fresh proposal to provide their lands on a long lease basis with certain terms and conditions, provided TTD takes up the constructions with its funds, and on completion hands over the same to respective temple authorities that would guarantee them with some revenue.
The proposals for providing Endowments lands to TTD came from various temples in Anantapur, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, YSR Kadapa, Prakasam, Chittoor (2) and Vizianagaram districts.
The TTD board felt that constructing Kalyana mandapams in Endowments lands was not only against its policy as it does not bestow it with any ownership title over the land but also opined that it would mean a deviation of court directions.
It also feared that its role will be limited only to providing of finance, as the structures on completion will have to be handed over to respective temples for maintenance at free of cost. This besides, it will be burdened with the task of undertaking correspondence with board, government, Endowments department in the seeking of sanctions, land permissions and concluding of lease agreements for no good reason.
The TTD has so far constructed over 304 kalyana mandapams in different part of the country, while 8 others are under various stages of constructions. Of these, while 294 are located in the two Telugu States, the remaining are spread across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha and Ahmedabad.
According to terms and conditions that are periodically revised, one acre of plain undisputed land in a prime location has to be registered/alienated in favor of TTD by the sponsor with full ownership rights for taking up the construction of a kalyana mandapam, while it is two acres of land in the case of district headquarters and corporations in addition to depositing 40% of the estimated cost in the form of public contribution.
