TIRUPATI:  The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has pegged its estimated budget outlay for the 2020-2021 financial year at Rs 3,309.89 crore, just Rs 66 crore more than the revised budget estimates of the present financial year.  It had pegged the temple’s revenue at Rs 3,116.35 crore at the beginning of the financial year, but the figure touched Rs 3,243 crore in the revised budget estimates for 2019-2020. The TTD Trust Board, which met under the leadership of its chairman YV Subba Reddy at the Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Saturday, announced the budget outlay for 2020-21. 

Officials said the TTD is expecting revenue of Rs 1,351 crore through Hundi collections in 2020-21. The previous year’s Hundi collection is estimated to be Rs 1,313 crore. The TTD is also expecting a hike in its revenues through the sale of darshanams and prasadams.

Through the sale of prasadams, the revised revenue estimates for the current year stood at Rs 330 crore, and the administration is expecting it to reach Rs 400 crore in 2020-21. Similarly, the estimated revenue from the sale of darshanam tickets, which is estimated at Rs 233 crore this financial year, is pegged at Rs 245 crore, a slight increase over the previous years, Subba Reddy told the media.

However, compared to the present financial year, the TTD will get a lower revenue on interest on fixed deposits. It got Rs 857 crore as interest this year, and will get Rs 706 crore as interest on its deposits - a loss of around Rs 150 crore due to banks slashing interest rates.

As per the TTD’s official books, more than Rs 10,000 crore is deposited in various banks.

The TTD was depositing money in both private and public sector banks, but the State government advised the administration to ensure all fixed deposits are in only in nationalised banks. With this, the TTD may lose an interest rate of 1.25 to 1.5 per cent in the next financial year. While the highest interest rate the TTD gets on deposits in nationalised banks is 6.5 per cent, private banks offer 7.5 per cent.

Evening VIP break darshan to be re-introduced?

The TTD is contemplating re-introducing VIP break darshan twice a day. This was in practice earlier, but it was later confined to mornings. Due to the large crowds on weekends, the administration removed break darshans on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but allows Protocol VIPs darshan.

 Now, the TTD is contemplating to introduce VIP-Break during the day time. “We have received suggestions and we are considering them,’’ TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy said.