Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to constitute an inquiry commission to identify the real masterminds behind the Tirumala laddu ghee adulteration scandal and ensure strict action.
Chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Amaravati Secretariat, the meeting sidelined all other agenda items to focus exclusively on the issue.
Discussions centered on the CBI-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) report—formed under Supreme Court orders—which detailed the adulteration process and departmental lapses. Submitted to the government, it recommended action only against direct accused, falling short of exposing higher-level culprits, the cabinet felt.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, state finance minister, Payyavula Keshav said the SIT provided two documents, a chargesheet filed in court available to the government post-cognizance and an 11-page confidential report. The Cabinet extensively reviewed key revelations, including ghee supply irregularities, relaxed tender norms, quality control failures, and forged documents, he said.
“Post-2019 policy changes enabled substandard supplies through deliberate relaxations, such as slashing the turnover threshold from Rs 250 crore to Rs 150 crore and waiving minimum milk procurement experience. NDDB-CALF lab tests on ghee samples flagged possible adulterants like soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, cottonseed, fish oil, beef tallow, and lard details Chief Minister Naidu highlighted in a 2024 meeting,” added Payyavula Keshav.
Sources in the government pointed out that Naidu presented the CBI report, sparking a nearly three-hour discussion. Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, weighed in on next steps. The Cabinet unanimously mandated legal/administrative action against those named, plus reforms to prevent recurrence. It resolved to form a short-term inquiry team via the Commission of Enquiry for a time-bound report.
"Safeguarding Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam's (TTD) sanctity is our top duty. No devotee's faith in Sri Vari Prasadam should be compromised," Keshav emphasised.
Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav accused the previous regime of Rs 250 crore corruption, ignoring 2022 CFTRI warnings, easing tenders for unverified firms, and supplying chemical-based ghee devoid of real milk betraying devotees and eroding temple purity.