Will TTD Extensd Garuda Varadhi Till Alipiri?
Tirupati: In its trust board meeting on Saturday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will decide whether to extend the multi-crore Garuda Varadhi (Elevated Expressway) project up to Alipiri. TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy told the media on Friday that the extension project was necessary for pilgrims coming from various locations to be able to travel directly to the foot of the hills at Alipiri, avoiding the city's congested traffic. Reddy stated that he had received numerous requests from people's representatives and other groups regarding the need to extend the prestigious Garuda Varadhi flyover, which is currently being built on the Tirumala bypass road, to the Alipiri toll gate. In its board meeting on June 19th, the TTD Board will discuss the additional cost of extension work and approve a decision to seek the extension of Varadhi. TTD had agreed to bear two-thirds of the estimated total cost of Garuda Varadhi and provided only Rs 25 crore against its share of around Rs 400 crore. The Varadhi was built at a cost of Rs 640 crore. The lack of ability to provide its share of the amount to Tirupati Smart City Corporation Limited (TMCCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) floated for the execution of Smart City work, including the Varadhi, appears to be due to a drop in TTD revenue following the pandemic shutdown. Due to the Covid pandemic, he said, the TTD was unable to carry out the Board's decision to revive Kalyanamastu (a free mass wedding programme for poor Hindu families) and the construction of 500 Sri Venkateshwara temples in SC/ST/BC and fishermen colonies as part of the Hindu Dharma Pracharam. He added that once normalcy returns, both programmes will be revived and implemented. The TTD has launched several programmes for people's well-being during the last 18 months of the Covid first and second waves, according to the Chairman. TTD launched several spiritual programmes, including Sundarakanda, Bhagavat Gita, Virat Parva Parayanams, and other spiritual programmes, which were broadcast live on SVBC in order to obtain Sri Venkateswara Swamy's blessings and bring relief to the entire human race from the Covid pandemic. According to him, the board meeting will also discuss how to provide Srivari Darshan to more devotees while adhering to Covid guidelines. Meanwhile, Chairman Y V Subba Reddy's two-year term ends on June 21st, and the terms of the trust board members end in September.