Jammu, Jun 11: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy is likely to visit Jammu on June 13 to lay the foundation stone for Tirupati Balaji Temple during his day-long visit.According to sources, Mr Reddy will leave for Delhi after participating in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the temple near Sidhra on the Jammu-Srinagar bypass road.Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and many senior officers from the administration, BJP leaders and other dignitaries will also participate in the ceremony.The religious tourism in Jammu will get a boost with the construction of temple.The Lieutenant Governor’s administration had recently allotted 25 hectares (about 62 acres i.e. 2.5 lakh square meters) of land to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in Jammu for construction of temple and development of other facilities. The temple management has made full preparations to build the temple on the land allotted by the government and work will begin on a war-footing.Tirumala will build Tirupati Devasthanam Temple, Veda Pathshala, Spiritual Center, residential facility and parking on the land.It is also proposed to build health and education facilities on this land in the coming days.TTD will build the temple in two years along with the Vedic school and hospital.After the construction of the temple, devotees of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi are likely to visit Tirupati Balaji temple, giving further boost to religious tourism.The Administrative Council on April 1 had approved the proposal to allot 496 Kanal 17 Marla to the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) for building of Temple and its allied infrastructures, Pilgrim amenities Complex, Vedapatasala, Spiritual/Meditation Centre, Office, Residential Quarters and Parking; on lease basis for a period of 40 years.Once developed, the TTD infrastructure will be an attraction for the pilgrims and tourists in addition to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and Amarnathji Shrine.It will enable tourists to come and stay longer in Jammu city. The future development on the campus will also contribute to economic growth of the region.
