Tirupati: APTDC to hire rooms in Padmavati Nilayam soon

Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has been completing the formalities to start hiring rooms at Sri Padmavati Ammavari Nilayam near Tiruchanur. After completing the agreement process with TTD, APTDC has been trying to call for tenders now to finalise housekeeping and other contracts.

The Rs.75 crore facility was built by TTD in 5.35 acres abutting 150-ft National highway at Damineedu. Though completed almost a year back and formally inaugurated too, it was lying vacant for all these months.

TTD was somehow unwilling to take over the maintenance of Padmavati Nilayam, a huge multi storeyed complex and invited tenders to lease it out which has drawn little response as the minimum lease amount was fixed at Rs.1.80 crore per annum. However, APTDC has come forward to take the facility on lease at Rs.1 crore per annum.

Even though, Padmavati Nilayam is easily accessible for pilgrims coming by road from Chennai, Bengaluru and Vijayawada routes, it is distantly located from Tirupati Bus station and Railway station. It is learnt that unless there is more than 50 percent occupation, the project may not be viable for anyone.

TTD board has agreed for Rs.1 crore rent plus GST and hand it over to APTDC. The tourism corporation has been paying almost the same amount to private hotels now to provide accommodation to its customers coming over to Tirupati for darshan of Lord Venkateswara. APTDC has been hiring 50-80 private rooms depending on the inflow of pilgrims.

Once it takes over Padmavati Nilayam on lease, the APTDC can keep the pilgrims there. APTDC is reportedly contemplating with the idea of keeping some rooms online in TTD's website which will have wider reach than APTDC site. It is having 80 AC and 120 non-AC rooms, and five AC and four non-AC dormitories.