BJP, TDP and JSP leaders unearth ‘systematic loot’ at Kadiri shrine

• Leaders from the BJP, TDP, and Jana Sena pointed out that a basic tank restoration project has been intentionally dragged for six years to repeatedly clear inflated, nomination-basis contracts
• The alliance accused Endowments officials of generating fake bills by citing emergency flood repairs, despite rainwater repeatedly entering the main sanctum due to poor drainage
• The joint fact-finding committee alleged that the Endowments department deliberately were stonewalling over ten separate RTI applications filed by local devotees
• The coalition is compiling a comprehensive dossier for Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, demanding an absolute audit of civil works, prasadam distribution, and hundi offerings

Kadiri: Serious allegations of large-scale financial misappropriation in the restoration and renovation of the sacred temple tank (Bhrugu Theertham Koneru) at the historic Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Kadiri have sparked demands for an immediate Vigilance and Enforcement investigation.

Senior leaders of the BJP, TDP, and Jana Sena Party have jointly accused Endowments Department officials and contractors of misusing nearly Rs 6 crore of temple funds collected directly from devotees. During a joint inspection of the temple tank premises on Wednesday, BJP senior leader S Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Jana Sena leader Bairava Prasad, and TDP leaders Nagendra Prasad and Somla Naik alleged that the ongoing restoration works had turned into a “systematic loot of devotees’ money” due to an unholy nexus between department officials and benami contractors.

The coalition leaders pointed out that the renovation project, which ordinarily should have been completed within a span of six months, has been intentionally dragged out and kept unfinished for nearly six years.

They alleged that the civil works were deliberately delayed by authorities to repeatedly award contracts through nomination methods. This tactic resulted in heavily inflated project costs and corrupt, commission-based execution practices.

According to the leaders, nearly Rs 6 crore was drawn from the treasury across two distinct phases under the guise of repairs and reconstruction, with substantial public and temple funds systematically diverted.

They further alleged that false bills were generated by fabricating expenditure claims and citing emergency flood-related repair works that never took place.

The leaders noted that recent heavy rains exposed this absolute administrative negligence; the absence of proper drainage channels caused rainwater to breach the premises and flood the main temple sanctum.

Furthermore, the leaders accused the Endowments Department of masking corruption with total opacity, stating that over ten separate Right to Information (RTI) queries filed by anxious devotees had been stonewalled.

Demanding an independent forensic audit into construction quality, hundi offerings, and prasadam distribution, the alliance announced that a comprehensive dossier would soon be submitted to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to initiate strict criminal prosecution.