TTD's Srivani trust receives donations of Rs 650 crore in 3 years

TIRUPATI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams' Sri Venkateswara Alayala Nirmanam (Srivani) trust, which received 650 crore in the form of donations in the last three years, has emerged as the most popular donation scheme for the temple body.Srivani trust was established by the TTD in 2019 with an aim to renovate and refurbish ancient shrines of Hindu worship, provide financial assistance to temples faced with funds crunch through the Dhupa-Deepa Naivedyam scheme, besides constructing temples in SC-ST-BC colonies across the state and outside. TTD extends one VIP break darshan ticket as a privilege to every donor who donates a sum of 10,000 to the Srivani trust. Since its inception in 2019, TTD has taken up construction of 2,068 temples in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry and Karnataka."The construction of about 502 temples are set to be completed by the end of February this year. TTD has also sanctioned 100 crore to AP endowments department for construction of 932 temples across the state. Samarasata Seva Foundation has been roped in for the construction of 320 temples for which 32 crore has been sanctioned," executive officer AV Dharma Reddy said on Monday, while adding that TTD has received 669 applications from various towns and villages for financial assistance for construction of Hindu temples which are under scrutiny.In addition to this, the temple trust has extended financial assistance to the tune of 130 crore towards renovation and refurbishment of ancient Hindu temples."Donations offered to Srivani trust are deposited in a separate account and later moved to fixed deposits in a transparent manner. These donations are not even deposited in TTD's general account. So, where is the question of Srivani trust funds being diverted?" Dharma Reddy asked, in response to allegations about Srivani trust funds being diverted to the state government's coffers.