5 months ago
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The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) which is already embroiled successful a excavation of controversies has been plunged into yet different storm, this clip implicit a monolithic scam involving the proviso of sub-standard Angavastrams (shawl) mostly presented to the VIPs arsenic an honour during their sojourn to the temple of Lord Venkateswara. What began arsenic a elemental allegation unluckily spiralled into 1 of the astir superior procurement scandals the temple medication has faced successful the past decade.
The silk cloth was allegedly supplied successful gross usurpation of tender specifications betwixt 2015 and 2025. Initial findings bespeak that inferior dupattas were passed disconnected arsenic axenic silk, raising questions of deliberate dilution of prime and systematic manipulation wrong the procurement process.
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Acting connected the allegations that surfaced a mates of months back, TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu took a superior presumption and ordered the vigilance section for an in-depth probe into the episode. Officials were reportedly stunned to observe the mediocre prime of the material, which failed to conscionable adjacent basal tender stipulations. They besides uncovered a suspicious signifier arsenic samples were consistently routed to a azygous instauration successful Kanchipuram for prime certification, bypassing different verification protocols.
The officials who took cognisance of the usurpation this clip redirected the samples to the Central Silk Board laboratories successful Bengaluru and Dharmavaram for certification. The results were not lone appalling but besides confirmed the inferior prime of the worldly utilized successful the manufacturing of the shawl.
Much to their dismay they besides recovered that the mandatory holograms were faked and that the accepted Sankhu, Chakra and Namam imprints — explicitly required connected the cloth arsenic required successful the tenders — were missing.
Inquiries besides revealed that a azygous organisation based successful Nagari, Tirupati district, has been supplying the silk shawl to TTD for astir a decennary since 2015 too occasionally routing consignments done firms owned by related household members. A lawsuit idiosyncratic linked to the procurement concatenation has since been transferred but has not yet reported to the caller posting.
Taking superior enactment of the findings, the TTD Trust Board during its past gathering formally resolved to petition the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to motorboat a broad enquiry into the full episode.
The full magnitude progressive successful the ungraded is enactment astir ₹54.95-crore.
The TTD connected suspicion, transferred an worker (case worker) moving successful the procurement section who according to sources is yet to study to the caller posting.
Latest reports suggest that, the TTD has sought method assistance from the Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi which successful crook appointed Dr. S. Arunkumar arsenic the Regional Director who volition besides assistance the TTD successful determining the prime of some the regular silk shawl and the costly ‘Melchat Vastrams’ — that is mostly adorned to the main deity.
As a parallel improvement talks person besides begun with the Tamil Nadu Co-optex for the proviso of high-quality handwoven mulberry silk astatine a competitory price.
The taxable is expected to predominate the discussions during the ensuing TTD spot committee gathering scheduled connected 16 of this month.
