'Can't make TTD audit reports public'

Citing legal constraints, State Endowments Minister C Ramachandraiah on Tuesday rejected the opposition demand to place the audit reports of the TTD ( Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam) in both the Houses of the State Assembly and the Legislative Council.

Responding to TDP MLA B Venkateswarlu, who raised the issue under special mention in the Council on Tuesday, the Minister, who is also the leader of the House in Council, said there were no provisions to place the TTD audit report in the House. It would require legal process to amend the laws to do the same as TTD trust was an autonomous body.

Stating that the TTD was purely a religious organisation, he said the government was the custodian of all the properties and funds of TTD which has been submitting its annual audit report to it. Unsatisfied with the Minister's reply, the TDP member demanded government to allow CAG to verify the audit reports of the TTD. He also pointed out that Ramachandraiah's predecessor G Venkat Reddy had made a promise in the same House that he will take necessary steps to table the report in the House.