Political storm brews over TTD’s land exchange with tourism authority

Tirupati: The latest land swap decision by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board has stirred political controversy, with opposition parties alleging a covert attempt to revive a shelved luxury hotel project near the temple town of Tirupati.

In an emergency meeting convened on Wednesday at Tirumala, chaired by BR Naidu, the TTD board approved the exchange of 24.68 acres of its land in survey number 588A of Tirupati Urban mandal with an equivalent plot held by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) in survey number 604 at Peruru village in Tirupati Rural mandal.

Due to the sudden nature of the meeting, only a handful of members attended in person, while others joined virtually. The board also agreed to speed up clearances for another proposed land swap involving 10.32 acres in Tirupati Rural.

The decision drew immediate backlash from the YSR Congress Party. Former TTD chairman and party spokesperson Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that the move is intended to facilitate the revival of a previously scrapped luxury hotel project near Alipiri, the sacred foothills of Tirumala. Speaking to the media, Reddy expressed outrage that an emergency board meeting, unprecedented for a single-point agenda, was held not to serve devotees, but to benefit commercial interests.

He further accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of contradicting his earlier stance on protecting temple lands. “When the Oberoi Group was allotted land near Alipiri in the past, Naidu strongly opposed it citing religious sanctity. Now, the same leader is facilitating a similar project under a different name,” Reddy claimed.

He urged that if tourism development is the objective, land near Tirupati airport – away from the sacred temple zone – would be a more appropriate location. Calling upon spiritual leaders and the Hindu community at large, Reddy appealed for collective resistance to what he described as the commercialisation of a revered pilgrimage centre.