Senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B Karunakar Reddy has accused the NDA coalition government in Andhra Pradesh of conspiring to hand over valuable TTD land to luxury hotel group Oberoi in the name of tourism development.
In a press release issued late on Wednesday, Karunakar Reddy alleged that more than 20 acres of prime TTD land near Alipiri had been exchanged for tourism department land of much lower value. He claimed the TTD land was worth over ₹460 crore as per registration records and more than ₹3,000 crore at current market rates, while the land received in exchange was valued at only around ₹18 crore.
“This is a conspiracy by the NDA coalition government to hand over highly valuable TTD land to luxury hotel group Oberoi under the pretext of tourism development,” Karunakar Reddy said. He described the deal as “outright looting of Lord Venkateswara’s property” and called it “the biggest scam in TTD history.”
The YSRCP leader alleged that the land exchange was carried out without transparency and that registrations were done quietly. “This raises serious questions about the intent and legality of the transaction,” he said. He also claimed that the government gave major financial concessions to the hotel group, including a waiver of nearly ₹2 crore towards building fund charges and around ₹26 crore related to stamp duty and lease fees.
Referring to a government order issued on June 2, 2007, during the tenure of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Karunakar Reddy said the seven sacred hills of Tirumala, including the disputed land, were legally protected. “Handing over such protected temple land to a private five-star hotel chain is illegal, immoral, and unprecedented,” he said, adding that TTD did not benefit in any way from the exchange.
He also questioned how construction was allowed without forest clearances, despite the alleged presence of red sandalwood trees on the land. Dismissing the justification given for the project, he said, “A 100-room hotel does not require 20 acres of sacred land.”
Karunakar Reddy expressed concern over what he called the silence of seers and religious leaders on the issue. “This is a systemic plunder of Lord Venkateswara’s assets, and religious heads should come forward to oppose it,” he said.
Holding Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh responsible, the YSRCP leader demanded the immediate cancellation of the land transfer. He also appealed to devotees to protect the sanctity of TTD properties. There was no immediate response from the ruling Telugu Desam Party to the allegations.
