Civil society members said- pilgrimage city needs TTD funds for development

Tirupati: The members of the Civil Society, who met here on Monday said in one voice that TTD funds are must for the pilgrim city development more so for improving sanitation to cope with the ever increasing pilgrim population visiting the world famous Hindu shrine Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala. The meeting unanimously resolved to entrust the responsibility of getting the financial support from the TTD to the Corporation to City MLA and TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy while many speakers felt that the appointment of Karunakar Reddy provides an opportunity for the city development and wanted the Civil Society members join together to request the TTD chairman to get the required approval from the Trust Board to provide funds to the MCT. Several members stating that the city is witnessing unprecedented development particularly with regard to roads, were all praise for Corporation deputy mayor Bhumana Abhinaya Reddy for his visionary approach and stressed the need to strengthen his hands for the all-round development of the city. Veteran CPI leader B Tulasendra said the city population reached five lakhs and the additional number of one lakh pilgrims arriving daily from all over the country to Tirumala posed an unbearable burden to the corporation in maintaining proper sanitation. At least yearly Rs 100 crore financial support required from TTD for appointing additional workers for maintaining sanitation and upkeep of roads, maintaining drains particularly in the pilgrim dominated areas like railway station, rtc bus stand, TTD choultries, colleges, schools, hospitals and its offices located in various localities in the city, he said. Deputy mayor Abhinay Reddy said the Corporation requires 1,678 more sanitary workers in addition to the existing 1,105 to take up cleaning (sweeping) twice and also fogging, spraying in the city more so in the areas where pilgrim movement is heavy, to ensure proper sanitary condition for the health safety of locals and visiting pilgrim population. He made it clear that there was no move to hand over the sanitation and the Corporation is chalking ways in to get the required support from TTD for infrastructure facilities for better maintenance of world famous pilgrim city which in turn help to enhance its image and also TTD at global level. CPM leader K Murali said there was no bar in TTD spending its funds for Tirupati development while Rayalaseema Intellectual forum convener Purushottam Reddy wanted TTD support mainly to development and upkeep of roads, sanitation and augmenting drinking water supply required for both locals and pilgrims. Many including Hotels Association representative Nithijn Chakravarthy, veteran journalist PV Ravi Kumar, Dr Balarama Raju, Corporation former health officers Bhishmaia Naidu, BRS leader Krishna Prasad and other opined that TTD support was must for the better maintenance of the pilgrim city and stressed on the Corporation and Devasthanams work in tandem in the larger interests of pilgrims. TTD SVETA former director Bhuman, who acted as a coordinator and senior journalist P Ramachandra Reddy, one of the organisers of the civil society meeting, underlined the need of civil society playing a proactive role to pave the way for TTD funds for a better and beautiful Tirupati.