TTD Land Transfer to Oberoi Hotels Biggest Scam in Temple History: Karunakar Reddy

Karunakar Reddy claimed that 20 acres of prime TTD land near Alipiri, worth more than Rs 460 billion as per registration records and more than Rs 3,000 crore on open market terms, was replaced with tourism department land worth around Rs 18 billion.

“This is a conspiracy by the NDA coalition government to hand over valuable TTD land to luxury hotel group Oberoi under the pretext of developing tourism,” Karunakar Reddy said in a press release issued late on Wednesday. he said.

He claimed that this was a direct plunder of Lord Venkateswara’s property and was the biggest scam in the history of TTD, much bigger than any other scam of TTD.

The YSRCP leader alleged that the land exchange was carried out without transparency and the recordings were made silently, which “raises serious questions about the purpose and legality of the transaction”.

He also alleged that the government had given huge concessions to Oberoi, including waiver of around Rs 2 billion for construction fund and waiver of around Rs 26 billion for stamp duty and rent-related expenses.

Recalling a government order issued on June 2, 2007, during the tenure of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Karunakar Reddy said the seven sacred hills of Tirumala, including the disputed land, are legally protected.

Handing over such protected temple land to a five-star private hotel chain was illegal, immoral and unprecedented, he alleged, adding that TTD had not benefited from this exchange.

The opposition leader also questioned how construction was allowed allegedly without forest clearance despite the presence of red sandalwood trees and rejected claims that 20 acres of sacred land was needed for a 100-room hotel.

Alleging that the seers and clerics remained silent, Karunakar Reddy urged them to oppose what he called the ‘systematic plunder’ of Lord Venkateswara’s assets.

Holding Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh responsible, he demanded cancellation of the land transfer and urged devotees to maintain the sanctity of TTD properties. Meanwhile, there was no reaction from the ruling TDP.