3 months ago
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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Supreme Court has submitted a study to the Andhra Pradesh authorities connected the alleged usage of adulterated ghee successful the mentation of the ineffable Tirumala ‘Srivari laddu prasadam’.
The 11-page study outlines superior irregularities, regularisation violations, and alleged deliberate misconduct that had taken spot betwixt 2019 and 2024, and recommends stringent enactment against those responsible.
The SIT, successful its Self-Contained Note (SCN), has specifically highlighted the relation of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Purchase Committee successful the alleged adulterated ghee episode.
The names of Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (then MLA), Bhumana Karunakar Reddy (special invitee), and elder TTD officials Anil Kumar Singhal (then Executive Officer), A.V. Dharma Reddy (then Additional Executive Officer), and O. Balaji (then FA&CAO) find notation successful the report.
The SIT has recommended that the authorities instrumentality suitable enactment arsenic deemed acceptable against the erring committee members and elder TTD officials for “deliberate omissions and failures successful some relaxation and enforcement of tender conditions.”
According to the SIT, violations had occurred astatine each signifier of the process — from modification of tender conditions to procurement and proviso of ghee, raising superior questions astir oversight and accountability wrong the committee.
The SIT has besides pointed retired that large changes had been made to the tender conditions successful 2020, allegedly without immoderate technological survey oregon owed diligence, enabling ineligible companies to enactment successful the bidding process.
Between 2020 and 2023, specified unqualified firms had allegedly supplied adulterated ghee for laddu preparation. The relation of Mr. Balaji was besides pointed retired successful the issue.
The study points retired that eligibility norms were importantly diluted, including a simplification of minimum turnover request from ₹250 crore to ₹150 crore, lowering mandatory dairy manufacture acquisition from 3 years to 1 year, removal of regular beverage procurement norms, and a simplification successful food extraction requirements.
The SIT has specifically mentioned the relation of the TTD Purchase Committee, noting that peculiar invitees had played a cardinal relation successful the tendering and procurement process, during which aggregate violations occurred. Senior TTD officials were held liable for allowing procurement from ineligible dairies, thereby hurting the spiritual sentiments of the devotees.
Amid mounting complaints, ghee samples were sent to the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) connected May 25, 2022. Tests reportedly had confirmed adulteration successful ghee supplied by 2 dairies.
However, the SIT has noted that the findings were allegedly ignored by elder officials. Even aft FSSAI mandated stricter standards successful 2021, elder TTD officials had reportedly exempted definite backstage dairies from these circumstantial prime agreements without recorded justification.
The SIT has said that the “hurried” and “unjustified” relaxation of tender conditions compromised the prime of the ghee utilized for the ineffable Tirumala laddu. This negligence has led to the procurement of adulterated ingredients, yet hurting the spiritual sentiments of millions of devotees worldwide.
The study concludes that repeated lapses and coordinated failures astatine aggregate levels enabled the continued proviso of adulterated ghee, calling for strict ineligible and administrative action.
