State plan for cottages at Yadadri temple city hits financial hurdle

HYDERABAD: A proposal to build a temple city on sprawling 850 acres in Yadadri is facing a financial hurdle. The Telangana government had planned to build the temple city on a hillock, called ‘Peddagutta’, adjacent to the hilltop where the temple complex is.
It will be entrusted to ‘Yadagirigutta Temple Development Authority (YTDA).
As per plan, cottages would be built under the ‘donor’ scheme with contributions by either individuals or firms.However, till date, the YTDA has received just 14 crore as donations. As per estimates, it needs 500 crore for the construction of 250 cottages (2crore for a cottage), sources of YTDA told TOI.
Calling for donations in the range of 25 lakh to 2 crore, a senior YTDA official said, “the name of the donor will be displayed on a plaque at the cottage prominently.”
The state government already sanctioned 250 crore in its fiscal budget for 2023-24 for the development of infrastructure including road network, greenery, water and sewerage networks, and STPs at the temple city. “We have already prepared blueprints for the works,” said a source.
Apart from this, another 143 crore had also been allotted for developing an Outer Ring Road (ORR) around the Yadadri Temple City. Works pertaining to the project are almost complete.
In the second phase of the temple city, three helipads, modest villas, Kalyana mandapams, high-end cottages, food courts, a solar energy power centre, sewerage treatment plant, water reservoir, bus terminal, central parking to accommodate 7,000 cars and commercial complexes will be built.
Meanwhile, at the Yadadri temple, copper plating works for Vimana Gopuram, atop the lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy sanctum sanctorum are near completion. Nearly 15,000kg of copper has been used for plating. Vimana Gopuram, has been planned on the lines of Tirumala, with a gold covering. As per the requirements, the temple needs a total of 125kg of gold plating.