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TIRUPATI, INDIA, February 20, 2005: The TTD Trust Board, which overseas the popular Balaji Temple here, today approved around US$155 million budget for fiscal 2005-2006, which is around $6 million more than its 2004-2005 budget. Of the total income, the hundi collections alone account for $64 million, while the sale of laddus (a famed blessed sweet) is expected to fetch the temple nearly $10 million. Other receipts are $26.5 million by way of interest on investments, $15.5 million from the sale of different paid seva tickets, $7.5 million through the sale of special darshan tickets, $6 million from the cottages and choultries and $14.5 million as miscellaneous receipts.



The payments side shows a bulk out-go of around $28 million toward the wage bill which is over $2 million more than last year’s. The next major outflow is $26.5 million towards creation of fixed assets followed by $23 million earmarked for other debt-heads. Other expenses are $21.5 million towards grants and contributions, $10 million towards the making of laddus, $19.5 towards investments and $15.5 million towards miscellaneous expenses. The board also earmarked $4.5 million in its current fiscal year for the DPP, which is charged with the task of propagation and preservation of values, cultural heritage, spiritualism, especially among the vulnerable sections. In the customary post-budget press briefing, the chairman denied once again that there was any move to divert the TTD’s surplus and reserve funds to private banks and non-banking financial institutions. He also denied media reports on the reported move to hike the cost of some of its prime sevas and the “VIP break” seva tickets.

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