The decision comes in the wake of a letter from the Endowments Commissioner (ROC.No. P1/COE/729/2018) dated 03.01.2019 in which a formal request was made to the TTD for sanctioning a financial aid of ₹ 28.5 crore for taking up renovation/restoration works to 90 identified temples in the State, The Hindu has reported.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to sanction ₹ 25 crore to the State Endowments Department for taking up renovation/restoration of about 90 identified temples spread in all the 13 districts of the state.

The decision comes in the wake of a letter from the Endowments Commissioner (ROC.No. P1/COE/729/2018) dated 03.01.2019 in which a formal request was made to the TTD for sanctioning a financial aid of ₹ 28.5 crore for taking up renovation/restoration works to 90 identified temples in the State. It also categorically stated that the temples were of more than 100 years old. A thorough scrutiny of each case based purely on merit also revealed that the temples which were either ancient or of historical importance were plagued by paucity of funds.

The letter also had a categorical mentioning that the works will be taken up through the Engineering Wing of its department. However the Annexure-I, enclosed by the officials read that the total cost of works worked out to ₹ 25 crore.

For the record, the TTD Board way back in 2007 had decided to take up works relating to renovation of gopurams and monuments of the temples, including the temples of Lord Venkateswara reflecting Indian culture across the State with a ceiling cost of ₹ 25 lakh and in the process also had sanctioned 114 such works at an estimated cost of Rs. 23.41crore. Of this, while 67 works were completed, 15 are still under progress, six yet to be taken up, and the remaining 26 works were pending due to non-receipt of funds by way of mandatory public contributions.

Further, to achieve its desired objective, the TTD in 2017 again shot a letter to the Endowments Commissioner requesting him to furnish the information of all the ancient temples of Lord Venkateswara in the State, and based on the Inspection Committee report resolved to take up the renovation of about 36 endowments temples at a cost of ₹ 7 crore.

It is against this back drop that the Board which met recently discussed the issue threadbare, and taking cognizance of the previous history and patronage extended by TTD to the Endowments Department in the renovation/restoration of ancient temples resolved to grant a one time financial aid of ₹ 25 crore.

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