Tirumala laddu ghee adulteration case: Andhra Pradesh govt-appointed one-man committee begins work

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government-appointed one-man committee, tasked with reviewing the CBI-led Special Investigation Team's (SIT) findings on the alleged adulteration of ghee used in Tirumala Laddu prasadam, has begun its work.

A few days ago, the state government named former Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar to head the committee. The SIT, in January, operating under the CBI Director's supervision, filed its final chargesheet to the court and submitted an 11-page Self-Contained Note (SCN) to the government, recommending action against erring officials.

The committee would evaluate administrative lapses and failures in enforcing tender norms, verify due diligence and procedural compliance, assess the responsibility of officers and committee members, and propose suitable administrative or disciplinary measures.

Part of the extension building at Padmavati Guest House has been allocated as the committee's office. It is mandated to submit its report to the government within 45 days, recommending action against those responsible for irregularities in the adulterated ghee issue. Dinesh Kumar had visited Tirumala on Tuesday and interacted with some of the TTD officials. He is likely to verify some records in the next few days.

According to the SIT findings, nearly 60 lakh kilograms of adulterated and substandard ghee were allegedly supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams between 2019 and 2024 during the previous YSRCP regime. The probe indicates that around 22 crore laddus were prepared using the sub-standard ghee, with substantial adulterants detected.

The investigation also flagged serious lapses in relaxation and enforcement of ghee tender conditions and pointed to alleged corruption and undue gains involving certain officials associated with TTD during the period.

The committee's recommendations would be examined by the government for further action, while ongoing judicial proceedings, if any, remain unaffected.