HC issues notice to AP Govt over Tirupati temple funds

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday issued notices to the state government and others on a petition seeking direction to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam ( TTD) not to allocate funds for non-charitable purposes.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Nissar Ahmed Kakru and Justice Vilas V Afzal Purkar issued the notices while hearing a PIL filed by Bhanu Prakash Reddy.

Notices were issued to the state endowments minister, railway minister and TTD executive officer among others, asking them why Reddy's request should not be granted. The bench also sought replies to allegations made by him in the plea.

The petitioner contended that the government, which was facing a severe financial crisis, was surreptitiously trying to divert TTD funds for various welfare programmes run by the state administration. The petitioner said the Railway Minister is said to have expressed the view that the TTD should share the burden for upgrading the Tirupati railway station.

In the petition, Reddy has contended that the TTD's funds belong to the Hindu devotees and they are not meant for utilisation for non-charitable and non-Hindu purposes. "The TTD and state government are only trustees of the wealth of the Lord Venkateswara and they cannot distribute the funds as they wish," he said.