AP govt constitutes TTD Board

: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday constituted the prestigious Board of Trustees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which administers the famous Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala among others, bringing in 24 new members, with representation from five states.

Several industrialists including India Cements vice-chairman and managing director N Srinivasan (Tamil Nadu), J Rameswara Rao, Putta Pratap Reddy, B Parthasarathi Reddy (all Telangana) have been appointed as members in the new Board of Trustees, the size of which was increased from 19 (including three ex-officio members) to 29 (including four ex-officio members).

Former MP Y V Subba Reddy was appointed the Board Chairman on June 21.

The state government amended the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act through an ordinance last week for expansion of the TTD Board in view of the "high demand" for membership from various quarters, a minister said.

While three ruling party MLAs, U V Ramana Murthy Raju, K Parthasarathy and Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy, have been appointed as TTD members, one MLA Kumaraguru from Karnataka was also accommodated in the Board.

Sudha Narayana Murthy of Infosys Foundation was re-appointed a member of the TTD Board.

She served as a member in the previous Board as well, when the TDP was in power.

In Chennai, Srinivasan thanked the Andhra Chief Minister for inducting him into the TTD Board.

"I thank the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan Reddy for bestowing this honour for me. As an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I am humbled by this choice. I do not have words to thank the Chief Minister," he said.