The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) will have its accounts audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India from 2020-21 onwards. The TTD Board has also asked the state government to direct the CAG to carry out a special audit for the past five years, from 2014-15 to 2019-20.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had filed a PIL in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking a CAG audit of TTD’s funds for the last five years and from the year 2020-21 onwards. Subramanian Swamy wrote on Twitter that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had consented to the move, and that TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy and Virat Hindustan Sangam Andhra Pradesh leader Govind Hari had ensured approval from the TTD board.
“The CM Jagan gracefully consented. TTD Chm. Subba Reddy & Member & VHS AP leader Govind Hari piloted it thru TTD Board. Task complete!,” he wrote. (sic)
My associate Satyapal Sabharwal and I had filed a PIL in Andhra HC seeking a CAG audit of Tirupati Temple funds for the last 5 years& hereafter. The CM Jagan gracefully consented. TTD Chm. Subba Reddy & Member & VHS AP leader Govind Hari piloted it thru TTD Board. Task complete!
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) September 2, 2020
TTD undergoes two kinds of audits – statutory audit and internal Audit. The internal audit is carried out by the State Audit Department officials as well as Chartered Accountant Firms hired for a specific period by the TTD. The statutory audit has been conducted by the State Audit Department till now.
In a resolution dated August 28, 2020, the TTD board Chairman YV Subba Reddy wrote that “keeping in view the criticism being made in social and mainstream media from time to time regarding various types of expenditure incurred and the need to improve the confidence of the pilgrims and donors in the system adopted by the Board,” the TTD has reviewed its accounting and audit systems.
“By taking into consideration the spirit of criticism in the matter and the need to instill full faith of the pilgrims and donors in the accounting and audit systems of TTD, it is hereby resolved that in lieu of the Statutory Audit hither to being conducted by the State Audit Department, the Government may be requested to entrust the audit of TTD to the CA&G from 2020-2021 onwards,” the resolution said. Since the audit for the years 2014-2015 to 2019-2020 has already been done by the State Audit Department, the TTD requested that the government entrust the CAG to undertake a Special Audit for the five year period, and furnish its report within six months.
The PIL has called for an external audit of accounts, utilisation of funds and properties including jewellery.