Tirupati: The state Vigilance and Enforcement Department has ramped up its investigation into the complaints of corruption and other irregularities at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) during the YSR Congress rule.
A 40-member vigilance committee, led by SP Karimulla, is conducting inspections across all the TTD departments. The probe was initiated following chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s pledge to “begin the cleansing of AP from Tirumala.”
The investigation covers all TTD operations including the allocation of protocol and break darshan tickets, particularly to elected representatives, financial transactions and deposits, security measures for temple jewellery and the sanctioning of funds for various projects.
Investigators are reviewing records, questioning current and ex-officials and seizing files.
Special attention is being paid to the allocation of Arjitha seva tickets, as well as to the functioning of the electronic data processing (EDP) department. The probe also encompasses the SRIVANI trust’s ticket allocation system, by scrutinizing the daily ticket sales and revenue streams.
Sources hint that there were significant findings relating to engineering projects and fund allocations. The vigilance team is reviewing records of the past five years, focusing on tender processes, contract awards, quality of completed works, and discrepancies between allocated funds and actual project costs.
An official said, “We’ve uncovered evidence suggesting that contracts were awarded to a select group of contractors. It appears that some projects were initiated without proper need assessment or feasibility studies.”
BJP leader Naveen Reddy, who claims to have provided crucial information to the vigilance team, has demanded for a special surveillance on certain individuals who were allegedly attempting to destroy records. “Anxiety is growing among TTD officials and staff who held key positions over the past five years, and some are trying to tamper with the records.”
He also noted that civil engineering contracts were hastily awarded to favoured contractors for a flat 10 per cent commission, suggesting that reissuing these tenders transparently could save the TTD around Rs.100 crore.
