Oberoi group Tirupati land swap done to safeguard interest of investors, religious sentiments: TDP

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Aug 26 (PTI) Refuting the allegations made by the YSRCP on land allocation to Oberoi Hotels here, TDP national spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari on Tuesday said it was the previous regime which allotted land to the Hotels chain in 2021.

Dismissing the charges made by senior YSRCP leader B Karunakar Reddy that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu "conspired" to hand over valuable TTD property to Oberoi Hotels, the TDP leader alleged that former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy is creating a "false narrative" to chase away investors from the state.

According to Tirunagari, the YSRCP government, in November 2021 vide GO No. 24, allotted 20 acres out of 50 acres belonging to the Tourism Department to Oberoi Group for development of a resort. The allotment was made in the name of Oberoi's Special Purpose Vehicle- Mumtaz hotels Ltd.

However, there were protests from some groups objecting to the allocation of land to Mumtaz, citing religious grounds. After the TDP-led NDA government took over in AP, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) requested the government to cancel the allotment and ensure that the land is earmarked only for purposes that align with the sanctity and spirituality at Tirumala, she said.

After examining the issue, Naidu’s government cancelled the land allotment to Mumtaz hotels in August 2025 through a government order and allotted an alternate piece of land, she added.

"It is very clear that the state government led by Chandrababu Naidu is very keen on two issues. One safeguard the interests of the investors who are trying to come, intend to invest in Andhra Pradesh and also at the same time taking into consideration the religious sentiments of the people.

"To operationalise the swap mechanism, the alternate land has been obtained by the tourism department, and would be allotted to the Oberoi group. The mechanism has been approved by the state investment promotion committee in its meeting held on August 22," she said.

Karunakar Reddy on Sunday alleged that 20 acres of prime land owned by TTD in Tirupati, valued at Rs 1,500 crore, was exchanged for low-value rural land, resulting in an alleged loss of Rs 1,000 crore.

"Naidu is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to surrender valuable TTD property to Oberoi Hotels under the guise of a land exchange," Reddy, who is also the former TTD chairman told reporters.

However, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) condemned these allegations, calling them "incorrect and misleading" regarding land allotments. PTI GDK KH