Covid shatters APTDC plans for Padmavathi Nilayam

Tirupati: Finally, it was proved that AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) could not find its fortunes with TTD's Sri Padmavathi Nilayam. The APTDC dreamt it big before making relentless efforts to hire the complex on lease so that it can accommodate its package tour customers there and allot remaining rooms to other tourists. But, the Covid pandemic shattered all their dreams and finally it had to lose the hopes of occupying the facility again.

TTD built a huge complex at a cost of Rs 75 crore in 5.35 acre at Damineedu abutting 150-ft national highway near Tirupati but never wanted to maintain the facility on its own. When it invited bids to lease it out at a minimum rent of Rs 1.80 crore per annum, it got poor response. APTDC managed to get it on a lease rent of Rs 1 crore arguing that it will be difficult to get full occupation of this multi-storeyed complex having 80 AC and 120 non AC rooms and five AC and four non AC dormitories.

APTDC felt that it can accommodate the tourists coming over to Tirumala under its package tours. For this purpose, it was paying more than Rs 1 crore to private hotels. It thought that after accommodating its customers, it could rent the remaining rooms to others which would be profitable to it.

After TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy inaugurated the complex on March 5, 2020, within 20 days it became a Covid quarantine centre and later made it as Covid care centre. The APTDC had spent around Rs 1 crore on providing different material for the convenience of the tourists.

After the first wave, APTDC took the facility again in its possession in the third week of February 2021, in early April it had to leave the facility as it was made a Covid care centre again with the surge in cases during the second wave.

Recently, it received a letter from TTD that in view of the possible Covid third wave, the facility could not be handed over to APTDC again. After the Covid care centre was closed there after the drop in cases at the end of September, it is now under the possession of TTD only. APTDC divisional manager M Giridhar Reddy confirmed this and as such the lease agreement was not in force and continued to accommodate their customers in private hotels for now.