TIRUPATI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams executive officer Muddada Ravichandra took charge as chairman of the three-member Specified Authority on Friday (November 06), an interim arrangement that will run the temple administration until a new trust board is in place.
Additional executive officer Ch Venkaiah Chowdary administered the oath at the Bangaru Vakili inside the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, in the presence of senior officials. The state government set up the authority on November 2. Its members are V Vinay Chand and K Kanna Babu, both senior IAS officers.
The step followed expiry of the trust board's two-year term on October 31; the board was headed by B.R. Naidu. The Endowments Act caps the term at two years from constitution and allows no extension, which is why an interim body became necessary.
The authority will hold the trustees' powers and duties for one year, or until a fresh board is constituted, whichever is earlier. It will oversee the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala and 64 other shrines under TTD management.
The government is understood to have chosen the stopgap route because of the model code of conduct in place for local body polls, with the election restrictions reportedly delaying fresh appointments to the temple's governing body. The authority will remain until those curbs are lifted and a new board is notified.
After taking charge, Ravichandra thanked the state government and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the opportunity. He said his priorities would include better amenities for pilgrims, stronger services at all 64 TTD temples, quality education and overall development for students in its institutions, and upgraded medical facilities through modern infrastructure. Speaking to the media, he said the aim was to let devotees focus on the darshan without worrying about other arrangements.
Meanwhile, the race for the next trust board chairman has warmed up. Two TDP legislators — Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, who represents Cheepurupalli in Vizianagaram district, and Jyothula Nehru of Jaggampeta, a member of the outgoing board — are being mentioned as possible contenders. Industrialist C.M. Ravi Sankar and NRI industrialist Srinivasa Ramanujam have also figured in the discussions, and the list of aspirants is expected to grow.
The chief minister is expected to decide after consultations within the ruling alliance, and the government is unlikely to move on a new board while election-related restrictions remain. Ravichandra will hold the authority's chairmanship alongside his role as executive officer.
(With inputs from media reports)