Telangana creates trust board for Yadagirigutta temple

Hyderabad's assembly has approved a new Bill to create a trust board for the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Yadagirigutta. This change amends the Telangana Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act of 1987. The trust will have 18 members, with a two-year term. An IAS officer will act as the executive officer for the board. Endowment minister Konda Surekha announced that the government plans to develop the Vemulawada and Bhadrachalam temples similar to Yadagirigutta. She mentioned that the government allocated 70 crore for improvements at Bhadrachalam. However, there are challenges related to land acquisition. The minister emphasized a commitment to promoting temple tourism across the state. Several MLAs shared their views on the new trust board. They discussed the importance of restoring old temples and expressed concerns about unfinished projects at Yadagirigutta. For example, some land oustees have not received compensation, and there are issues with parking space at the temple. Former minister Harish Rao suggested increasing funding for the Dharma Prachara Parishad from 1 crore to 5 crore. He highlighted the significant investment of about 1,800 crore for the temple's construction, which included a gold-plated gopuram. Meanwhile, other lawmakers noted the contributions of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to the temple's development. AIMIM MLA Kausar Mohiuddin also reflected on the historical donations of gold ornaments to the temple made by the Nizams. The discussions showed strong support for the temple and an eagerness to enhance its management and infrastructure.