5 months ago
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Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh connected Thursday refuted the statements made by YSRCP person and erstwhile TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy connected onshore allotment made to the Oberoi Hotel task successful Tirupati.
In a statement, the Minister categorically rejected the allegations made by Mr. Karunakar Reddy connected societal media and assorted different media platforms and called them “irresponsible”. He warned the YSRCP person that immoderate attempts to play with the sentiments of Lord Venkateswara’s devotees would not beryllium tolerated.
Recalling the developments, the Minister said the YSRCP government, done G.O. No. 24 issued connected November 24, 2021, had allotted 20 acres of onshore successful Survey No. 604 of Peruru village, located astatine the foothills of Tirumala, to Mumtaz Hotels Private Limited, an affiliate of the Oberoi Group. The task was approved with a projected concern of ₹250 crore, aiming to make the Oberoi Resorts with 100 villas, restaurants, banquet hall, spa, fittingness centre, java shop, bar, and different luxury amenities, promising employment to 1,500 people.
The Minister said Mr. Bhumana had approved and endorsed the project, portion the past Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the instauration chromatic for the project, without consulting spiritual institutions oregon cardinal stakeholders. This triggered wide protests from spiritual bodies and the public, demanding extortion to Tirumala’s sanctity, said Mr. Durgesh.
He said the TDP-led conjugation government, successful presumption of the nationalist sentiment, officially cancelled the lease connected August 7, 2025 aft the TTD Board passed a solution (G.O. No. 102 dated 18.11.2024) requesting cancellation of the onshore allotment.
He said arsenic the task was stalled for astir 4 years, the Oberoi Group reportedly incurred losses of ₹14 crore towards task preparation, operation timelines, recruitment and training. Additionally, the State suffered losses successful tourism gross and marque value. The Minister questioned who should beryllium held liable for these losses and blamed the YSRCP authorities for it.
He said to reconstruct capitalist confidence, the conjugation authorities initiated corrective measures and explored alternate onshore for the Oberoi Group. After examining the onshore astatine Daminidu and coordinating with the Tirupati District Collector, suitable onshore was identified successful Survey No. 588/A of Tirupati R.S. village, astir 500 metres other the earlier site. Informing that the edifice radical had accepted the Tirupati R.S. land, the Minister said it had requested for aboriginal allotment of the caller onshore on with definite concessions and adjustments successful payments connected relationship of fiscal losses it had incurred owed to the delay. Blaming the YSRCP authorities for creating this concern and eroding capitalist confidence, Mr. Durgesh powerfully denied the allegation that TTD onshore worthy ₹460 crore was allotted successful speech for tourism onshore valued astatine ₹18 crore.
The Minister accused Mr. Bhumana of exaggerating the contented and misleading the nationalist with inflated and inconsistent figures and informed that the Oberoi Group plans to put ₹1,350 crore crossed 5 locations successful Andhra Pradesh — Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Gandikota, Horsley Hills, and Pichukalanka — to make astir 11,000 nonstop and indirect jobs. He said presently 32 DPRs worthy ₹4,849 crore (4,088 rooms) and 22 EOIs worthy ₹3,500 crore (3,200 rooms) were pending successful the tourism sector, and specified controversies could discourage different investors.
