Probe Team Flags Irregularities In Tirupati Laddoo Ghee Tenders, Seeks Action

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court has found serious irregularities in the supply of ghee used for preparing the Tirumala Tirupati laddu prasadam between 2019 and 2024.

In an 11-page letter submitted to the Andhra Pradesh government, the SIT said that tender rules for procuring ghee were deliberately relaxed without proper study, expert advice, or valid reasons, which led to the entry of unqualified suppliers and affected the quality of the sacred prasadam.

According to the report, strict tender norms introduced in August 2019 were weakened in 2020 and conditions were diluted, including lowering the minimum turnover requirement, reducing required dairy experience, and cutting down milk procurement and processing capacity standards.

Read: "Propaganda": YSRCP Attacks TDP After 'Clean Chit' In Tirupati Laddoo Row

Senior TTD officials, including then Executive Officer (EO) Anil Kumar Singhal, then Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer (FA&CAO) O Balaji, and then Additional EO AV Dharmareddy, were held responsible for approving the relaxed norms without proper scrutiny.

It mentioned that the TTD Purchase Committee also recommended the changes, which were cleared by the TTD Board in February 2020. As a result, several private dairies with limited capacity won contracts, while established cooperative dairies were pushed out of competition.

The report further revealed that in May 2022, ghee samples were sent to the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) following complaints. The institute confirmed adulteration in supplies from Vyshnavi Dairy and Bhole Baba Dairy. However, the SIT found that these reports were ignored and no action was taken at the time.

Read: Probe Team Adds 11 Names To Accused List In Tirupati Laddu Adulteration Case

The SIT has urged the state government to take suitable legal and disciplinary action against officials and committee members involved in the matter.

Following the findings, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has transferred former EO Anil Kumar Singhal and initiated further action. The government has said it will ensure a fair and transparent investigation.

Meanwhile, State Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav has accused the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime of suppressing a key 2022 Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) report that flagged adulteration in ghee used for Tirumala laddu prasadam.

Keshav said that CFTRI tests in August 2022 showed chemicals like beta-sitosterol in ghee samples, indicating impurity, but the report was ignored, and no corrective steps were taken until 2024, allowing irregular supplies to continue under the YSRCP rule.

He alleged that the YSRCP-era officials and board members suppressed the CFTRI findings instead of acting on them, which led to continued use of compromised ghee in the temple's laddu prasadam.