TTD board evaluates Rs 28.94-bn revenue for 2018-2019

Of the total revenue, the cash offering in the temple hundi by devotees was projected at Rs 11.56 billion

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that manages the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala here on Friday said it expected to fetch an overall revenue of about Rs 28.94 billion for the fiscal, a top TTD official said.

Of the total revenue, the cash offering in the temple hundi (offering box) by devotees was projected at Rs 11.56 billion, TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal told reporters on Friday.

The sale of various worship tickets including rituals and special entry tickets could get about Rs 3.03 billion while the much sought after sacred laddu prasadam sale might earn about Rs 1.8 billion.

The revenue from the TTD accommodations allotted to devotees was estimated to be around Rs.1.1 billion, he said.

The auction sale of human hair to be offered by lakhs of devotees as fulfilment of vow before offering worship at the hill temple was guesstimated to be around Rs.1.25 billion, Singhal said.

On the payment side, the official said the salaries and other wages to the over 7000 TTD staff might touch about Rs. 6 billion while the expenses for the out-sourcing personnel could cost about Rs.2.14 billion.

In this connection a total of Rs.28.93 billion annual budge proposals for 2018-19 have been sent to Andhra Pradesh government for its endorsement, he added.