The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has found itself in a spot. The Trust is unable to decide what to do with the demonetised currency of nearly Rs 50 crore, as the Union Finance Ministry has said that it cannot help the TTD deposit the notes or exchange them for valid currency, TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy said. Speaking to reporters on June 19 after a board meeting, Subba Reddy said he had broached the issue with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman four times in the last two years since he took charge as the chairman. “They said it could set a precedent for other institutions if they allow us to deposit or exchange the demonetised currency,” he said.
Although currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations were demonetised by the Union government in November 2016, Tirumala pilgrims continued to deposit these notes in the offering or donation box (Srivari Hundi) at the Venkateswara temple in Tirumala. Since demonetisation, the TTD received 1.8 lakh notes of Rs 1,000 denomination (amounting to Rs 18 crore) and 6.34 lakh notes of Rs 500 denomination (amounting to Rs 31.7 crore) as offerings from devotees, totalling Rs 49.7 crore. The TTD is hesitant to destroy the notes, as they have devotional and sentimental value, Subba Reddy said. “We don't know what will happen with those notes. We have also asked the Reserve Bank of India what can be done to dispose of it. It’s all devotees’ money, so we cannot simply tear it off,” he said.
The TTD trust board announced many major decisions after Saturday’s meeting, including the establishment of a committee to look into the eligibility of regularisation for TTD’s contract and outsourcing employees, removal of unauthorised shops in Tirumala, and plying of electric buses in the region. YV Subba Reddy also said that steps will be taken towards constructing Venkateswara temples in Mumbai and Varanasi, stating that land allotments had been delayed due to COVID-19. TTD recently laid the foundation for a temple in Jammu.
The board had contemplated building 500 temples over the last two years but could not execute the plans due to the pandemic. In the next year, some of these temples will come up in Dalit localities, agency (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) areas and fisherfolk colonies, Subba Reddy said, adding that public representatives have requested to construct temples in such localities in the Telugu states. He also said that the number of daily visitors to the Tirumala temple has gone up to around 10,000 to 12,000, and more devotees will be accommodated soon while taking necessary precautions.
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