Those Involved in TTD scams will be punished, says APSBB Chairman

Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board Chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar, who also serves as the State spokesperson for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has announced that investigations into the numerous alleged scams at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) during the previous YSR Congress Party regime will be pursued to their logical conclusion, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.

Speaking at a media conference on Friday, he said the NDA government is committed not only to restoring the sanctity of the Tirumala temple but also to regaining the trust of countless devotees, which, he claimed, had been shattered by the former regime’s actions. He specifically accused ex-TTD Trust Board Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of misappropriating TTD funds amounting to ₹2,000 crore through unplanned and unauthorised civil engineering projects during his tenure, including the demolition of the Govindaraja Choultry building near the Tirupati railway station. “The ongoing probe will expose all irregularities and ensure that the culprits face the law,” he said. Referring to corruption allegations made by Mr. Karunakar Reddy against current Chairman B.R. Naidu, Mr. Vijay Kumar dismissed them as a “smear campaign.”

He further pointed out that it was under Mr. Karunakar Reddy’s tenure that the board had barred the uploading of its own resolutions on the TTD website. “It is ironic that he now lectures us on transparency,” Mr. Vijay Kumar remarked.

Mr. Vijay Kumar added that the investigation would not only hold the political leadership of the YSRCP era accountable but also target officials who, he claimed, colluded with them for personal gain.