TTD gets a jumbo Board, 52 'special invitees' included

The Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a 'jumbo'81-member Board for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, nominating 52 'specialinvitees' on an unprecedented scale along with 24 regular and four ex-officiomembers, besides the Chairman.

The government issued three separate orders to this effect around midnight onWednesday claiming that the jumbo Board was constituted to "preserve thesocial, economic, religious and environmental character" of the TTD and toabide by the principles of welfare for pilgrims, devotees and the public atlarge.

Justifying the appointment of 50 special invitees to the Board, the governmentclaimed the scope of TTD's administration spans across fields of developmentworks, engineering, finance and accounting, marketing, media and publication,forestry, water supply and human resources management.

"The scale and scope of these activities necessitates inclusion of specialinvitees who are experts from various fields. Moreover, it is the objective ofthe government to position the state as a preferred tourism destinationnationally and globally," the order, issued by Revenue-Endowments PrincipalSecretary G Vani Mohan, said.

Tirupati attracts over 36 million worshippers annually and the TTD would vastlybenefit with the addition of eminent personalities as special invitees, itadded.

Among the main members appointed to the Board are former minister of PuducherryMalladi Krishna Rao, YSR Congress MLA Katasani Ramabhupal Reddy, Tamil Nadu MLAA P Nanda Kumar, Karnataka MLA S R Viswanath Reddy, Shiv Sena secretary MilindKeshav Narvekar, former president of BCCI N Srinivasan and industrialist JupalliRameswara Rao.

Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and AP Brahmin Welfare CorporationChairman Sudhakar have been appointed as special invitees without any votingright.

On August 8, the government appointed Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's uncleY V Subba Reddy as TTD Chairman for a second consecutive term.