KCR will personally visit Tirumala to present his gift.

It was a pledge made by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, but it is taxpayers who will fund a 5.5-crore donation to the famous Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh.



5 crores will be used for ornaments for the deity at Tirupati, one of the world's most famous temples; some cash will be used to donate a pure-gold moustache at the Veerabhadraswami temple at Warangal dedicated to an incarnation of Lord Shiva.



Mr Rao, better known as KCR, says he had vowed to make these offerings if he met with success in his mission to have the region of Telangana carved out as a separate state. In June last year, Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to create Telangana as India's youngest state.



A few days ago, a cabinet meeting approved the funds for the promises KCR had made. . Supporters point out that despite a hostile relationship between the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, KCR will personally visit Tirumala to present his gift.



Critics however are not amused. The five-crore donation is being paid from the Common Good Fund, which is part of a government department that

looks after temples and trusts across the state.





Activist Lubna Sarwath says the money cannot be used to fulfil a pledge taken by a private citizen. She also points out that KCR had not revealed his intent to make the donation earlier.

Those annoyed by the government's orders say if there is five crores to spare, it should be spent on providing basic amenities like clean and better-equipped hospitals and public toilets.