Endowments lock horns over leasing vacant sites

TIRUMALA: Endowments department's move to lease vacant sites to private individuals to build shops around Galigopuram, located midway between Tirumala and Tirupati, is creating problems to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).The footpath to Tirumala from Alipiri is being maintained by the TTD.On the way to Tirumala from Tirupati, 2,000 steps from the base is Galigopuram which is administered by the endowments department. The endowments department has given some land on lease to 14 individuals on October 22 for setting up shops. Another 10 shops were given on lease on Friday. According to sources 14 individuals, including a family, which already owns five shops in the area, have got the lease for a monthly rent of Rs 5,000 for a duration of two years.The TTD had decided not to allow any shops on the pathway to Tirumala, as there were lot of complaints from the pilgrims about the shop-keepers fleecing them with overpriced products.Now, endowment department's move to lease some shops near Galigopuram, has posed a headache to the TTD, which is already fighting legal battles with over two dozen people over the issue of shops on the footpath. Some cases are in the local court, some in district court and others in the High Court.