Tirupati Temple Board's Land Swap Deal Runs Into Trouble

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is facing a new controversy following allegations made by former chairperson Bhumana Karunakar Reddy that a recent land exchange agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) is a "scam" that will cause significant financial loss to the TTD. 

The core of the issue is a swap of two parcels of land: a valuable 25-acre TTD plot in Tirupati urban limits for a 24.68-acre plot in rural Peruru village from APTA. 

Karunakar Reddy claims that this exchange is a ploy to benefit the Oberoi Group, which was previously allotted land near the sacred Tirumala hills for a hotel project.

The dispute goes back to November 24, 2021, when the previous YSRCP government allotted a 20-acre plot at Alipiri to the Oberoi Group for a luxury hotel. This decision was met with strong objections from Hindu groups and devotees who considered the land sacred.

In response to these protests, the new government under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu cancelled the project's approvals in March 2025.

Following the cancellation, the TTD board passed several resolutions to reclaim the sacred land. Resolution No. 102, passed on November 18, 2024, requested the government to allot the land to the TTD instead of the Oberoi Group.

Subsequently, on May 7, 2025, the TTD board agreed to a land swap deal with the Tourism Department (Resolution No. 250), which was finalised on July 22, 2025 (Resolution No. 385).

The TTD has condemned the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. They assert that the land swap was undertaken to protect the sanctity and security of Tirumala. 

It has explained that the land they received from the tourism department is adjacent to the Tirumala hills and is crucial for providing future facilities for devotees.

In contrast, the land given to the Tourism Department on the south side of the road already has existing constructions. The TTD maintains that this exchange was necessary to utilise the sacred land for appropriate purposes and that it should not be a subject of political allegations that could hurt the sentiments of devotees.