Andhra govt dismisses charges of irregularities at Tirumala

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday said there were no lapses by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the temple board that controls the Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala, with regard to the temple’s administration.

Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu held a high-level review meeting with officials of the TTD and the endowments department in Amaravati on Tuesday.

The meet comes after the temple’s former head priest AV Ramana Deekshitulu, who was removed from service with three others last week, alleged irregularities in the temple’s administration and missing jewellery.

The four were removed after the age of retirement from service was fixed at 65. Deekshitulu may move the Supreme Court challenging the removal, sources familiar with developments said. During the meeting, Naidu asked the TTD authorities to see that there were no controversies over the temple’s daily rituals and that the sanctity of the temple was maintained.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal said there was no evidence of any misappropriation of funds. “Every rupee that the TTD spends has been recorded and as such, there was no misuse of funds,” Singhal said.

On allegations of missing ancient jewellery donated by various kings centuries ago, Singhal said there were records of the jewellery listed in 1952, which was endorsed by the Justice Wadhwa committee in 2010.