HYDERABAD: In light of rising concerns over the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the iconic Tirumala temple laddus, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced plans to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. The SIT, which will be supervised by an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank, will be tasked with conducting a detailed inquiry into the incident and submitting its report to the government within a specified timeframe.
Addressing the issue, Naidu stressed the importance of safeguarding the faith of devotees and ensuring the purity of temple offerings. “The government will not tolerate any malpractice that threatens the trust of the devotees. The SIT will conduct a thorough investigation, and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” Naidu said.
ఐజీ, ఆపైస్థాయి అధికారితో సిట్ ఏర్పాటు చేస్తాం. వాళ్ళు విచారణ చేసి ఇచ్చే రిపోర్ట్ ని బట్టి, బాధ్యులని కఠినంగా శిక్షిస్తాం.#YCPAnimalFatInTirumalaLaddu#FekuJagan#EndOfYCP#ChandrababuNaidu#Tirumala#AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/tapaqVhGyb
— Telugu Desam Party (@JaiTDP) September 22, 2024
In addition to the SIT, Naidu laid out several other key measures aimed at preserving the sanctity of the temple. These include conducting a Shanti Homam to address spiritual concerns, ensuring that religious institutions are managed by members of their respective faiths, and introducing purification rituals according to Agama Shastra across all temples. The government will also establish a committee to study temple management practices and implement standard operating procedures for more effective administration. Though CM Naidu has not mentioned any names for the SIT.
The Chief Minister further hinted at the possibility of introducing a new law to ensure that places of worship, including mosques and churches, are managed by their respective communities, reinforcing the government’s commitment to upholding religious traditions and safeguarding the sentiments of devotees.
CM also brought to light significant irregularities in the tender process and ghee adulteration related to the sacred laddus at the Tirumala temple.
“Previous tenders were canceled, and reverse tenders were initiated with altered rules. Initially, a dairy needed three years of experience to supply ghee, but this was reduced to just one year. The requirement that only dairies producing 400,000 liters annually could supply ghee was also changed to allow any supplier to participate,” Naidu stated, emphasizing that these modifications were made arbitrarily to benefit certain entities.
Naidu further highlighted a drastic reduction in the turnover requirement for suppliers. “The minimum annual turnover requirement was lowered from ₹250 crore to ₹150 crore, facilitating these irregularities,” he remarked.
He also pointed out that AR Dairy from Tamil Nadu was awarded the tender to supply 1 million kg of cow ghee. “The tender was called on 12.03.2024 and finalized on 08.05.2024 at a price of ₹319.90 per kg. To put this in perspective, ₹319 isn’t sufficient even for dalda, let alone pure cow ghee,” he noted, calling attention to the unreasonable pricing.
Following the supply commencement on June 12, quality issues were identified. “On 06.07.2024, we discovered that two tanks of ghee were substandard, and on 15.07.2024, two more tanks were found to be of poor quality. After performing purification rituals, I informed EO Shyamalarao that I received divine orders to restore the temple’s sanctity. Since then, necessary changes have been implemented,” Naidu explained.
Despite warnings to the suppliers, they continued to deliver substandard ghee, prompting the government to take action. “We sent samples of four tankers of ghee for testing to the NDDB lab on 16.07.2024, and the reports arrived on 23.07.2024,” Naidu stated.
The lab results were alarming. “In one case, the S value was 86.62, far below the required 98.05 to 101.95 range, due to the presence of olive oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and fish oil. Another test showed an S value of 22.43, compared to the expected 95.90 to 104.10, which was caused by the presence of palm oil and beef fat. A third report revealed an S value of 97.96 to 102.04, whereas it should have been 117.42, due to the presence of pork fat,” Naidu revealed.
In response to these findings, the government acted decisively. “The EO issued a notice, and the dairy responsible for supplying the adulterated ghee has been blacklisted,” Naidu confirmed.
Naidu further questioned the opposition’s integrity, stating, “If someone dies in the family, they won’t visit Tirumala for a year. If they do, isn’t it a disgrace? They came on the 12th day after Dharmareddy’s son passed away. When leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Abdul Kalam visited Tirupati, they came with faith. Is Jagan greater than them? Why didn’t they issue a declaration?”
ఎలాంటి వాడిని ఈవోగా, చైర్మెన్లుగా పెట్టావ్ నువ్వు ?
ఇంట్లో ఎవరైనా చనిపోతే, ఏడాది వరకు స్వామి వారి దగ్గరకు వెళ్ళం. అలాంటిది కొడుకు చనిపోతే 11వ రోజు దేవాలయానికి వస్తారా ? స్వామి వారంటే నమ్మకం అని ఏ నాడైనా డిక్లరేషన్ ఇచ్చావా నువ్వు ? అబ్దుల్ కలాం లాంటి వారే ఇచ్చారే, నువ్వు… pic.twitter.com/4lqdsRhBYz
— Telugu Desam Party (@JaiTDP) September 22, 2024
He also pointed out contradictions in the opposition’s stance, noting, “The former chairman of the TTD board, Y.V. Subbareddy, speaks while holding the Bible, and Bhuman Karunakara Reddy’s daughter was married in a Christian tradition. Yet, they continue to attack us. I, too, went to Jerusalem and followed their traditions. In Kerala, one must visit Guruvayur without a shirt—why is that tradition acceptable?”
Whatever work I do, I always think of Venkateswara. When Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said, ‘Why have seven hills when two are enough?’, I fought against that.
“They gambled with the appointments to the trust board. They changed the law to introduce 50 nominated posts. They implemented the ex-officio system. TTD tickets were sold at will. Those without trust were made board chairpersons, giving preference to outsiders. They used TTD for political gains,” Chandrababu lashed out.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan welcomed the formation of SIT. He said, “I welcome the formation of the SIT to investigate the ghee adulteration issue concerning the Tirumala laddus. It is essential that we also clarify the accounts of the Sri Vani Trust. The SIT, led by an IG-level officer, will shed light on the use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of the sacred laddu prasadam for Sri Venkateswara Swamy.
This decisive action taken by Honorable Chief Minister Sri Chandrababu Naidu will reveal who is responsible for the impurities that have surfaced in Tirumala. Furthermore, I urge an investigation into the ticketing affairs of the Sri Vani Trust. It is crucial for experts to examine the trust’s accounts. The public deserves to know what irregularities past rulers have committed, not just in the services rendered to God but also in financial matters,” he added.
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