5 months ago
1
The twelvemonth 2025 has proved to beryllium 1 of the astir investigating periods successful the caller past of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the statutory assemblage that manages the world-famous shrine of Lord Venkateswara. A succession of crises, investigations and governmental sparring placed the revered temple spot nether sustained nationalist scrutiny, raising questions implicit administration, accountability and organization oversight.
The twelvemonth began connected a tragic note. A stampede during the issuance of Vaikuntha Ekadasi darshan tokens successful January claimed six lives and near respective others injured, exposing superior lapses successful assemblage absorption astatine a clip of dense pilgrim influx. The incidental acceptable an uneasy code for the months that followed, arsenic the TTD struggled to header with the fallout from past controversies portion confronting caller allegations.
Already weighed down by unresolved issues from the erstwhile twelvemonth — including the Parakamani cash-counting scandal, accusations of adulterated ghee utilized successful laddu prasadam, irregularities successful engineering works and disputes implicit promotions — the spot sought to reconstruct assurance done corrective measures. However, those efforts were soon overshadowed by caller controversies, notably the alleged irregularities successful the proviso of Anga Vastrams, the disputed onshore speech connection with the State Tourism Department and different procurement-related issues.
Throughout the year, the TTD remained successful the quality arsenic findings from aggregate investigative agencies surfaced 1 aft another. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alongside parallel probes by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), kept the instauration nether changeless scrutiny. Political parties further intensified the debate, trading charges and drafting the shrine’s governance into the larger arena of State politics.
The CBI-led SIT submitted a presumption study to the Supreme Court successful the adulterated ghee case, alleging large-scale fraud and the usage of thenar lipid derivatives successful prasadam preparation. Acting connected the court’s directions, the squad — comprising officials from the CBI, State constabulary and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — identified superior weaknesses successful procurement procedures and suggested the engagement of kickbacks and outer power successful declaration allocation. Several arrests followed, including those of premier dairy suppliers, a Delhi-based chemic trader and a erstwhile Executive Engineer (Procurements). Past chairpersons and enforcement officers were besides questioned regarding oversight lapses. Meanwhile, the High Court continued to show the ongoing Parakamani investigation.
Further contention erupted erstwhile a vigilance enquiry exposed an alleged ₹54.95-crore scam involving the proviso of inferior polyester ‘Anga Vastrams’ (shawls) billed arsenic axenic mulberry silk implicit astir a decade. Laboratory tests ordered by the TTD nether its contiguous Chairman B.R. Naidu and conducted by the Central Silk Board successful Bengaluru and Dharmavaram confirmed that the worldly was not silk, arsenic claimed.
Amid the turbulence, the TTD introduced a acceptable of betterment measures aimed astatine improving services and rebuilding trust. Devotees welcomed the improved prime of laddus and meals astatine the escaped nutrient complex. Following Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s instructions, feedback registers were placed crossed large work points, signaling precocious restitution levels from visiting devotees.
In a archetypal for the temple’s history, the TTD announced that lone online Sarva Darshan tokens would beryllium issued for communal pilgrims during the archetypal 3 days of the Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival opening December 30. The committee besides unveiled a maestro program for a implicit modulation to electrical mobility, replacing diesel and petrol vehicles with eco-friendly alternatives. Expansion of anna prasadam services and integer outgo facilities crossed each 60 temples managed by the TTD successful assorted States further signalled a propulsion towards operational modernisation and enhanced transparency.
