Tirumala laddu ghee adulteration: Committee flags nexus of administrative failures, procedural violations

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 found a deep-rooted nexus of administrative failures, procedural violations, and possible collusion that enabled the supply of adulterated ghee used in 'Srivari Laddu' prasadam.

The committee, headed by former Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar, was tasked with identifying those responsible for the alleged scandal and examining lapses in the procurement system.

Its report, according to sources in the government squarely fixed accountability on senior officials and the procurement machinery, holding them responsible for creating conditions that allowed contaminated ghee to enter the sacred supply chain.

The Committee had submitted its report a few days ago to the state government.

Sources said that the report identified former Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy as the principal figure responsible for major lapses, including dilution of tender norms, failure to act on confirmed adulteration, and allowing continued engagement of questionable suppliers.

Another former EO, Anil Kumar Singhal, has also been held accountable for approving relaxation of tender conditions without due diligence, according to the report.

The TTD's then Procurement Committee’s role has come under severe scrutiny, with Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Bhumana Karunakar Reddy as special invitees, along with M Ramulu and Chief Accounts Officer O Balaji, found to have participated in key decisions that diluted tender norms and weakened safeguards.

“Crucially, several decisions were taken without the presence of the full committee or the convenor, undermining due process. One of the most serious findings is the confirmation that adulterated ghee was allowed into the system despite clear scientific evidence,” said the report.

A CFTRI laboratory report dated August 3, 2022, detected β-Sitosterol, a marker of vegetable oil adulteration, in all tested samples. Despite this, the report was not acted upon, suppliers were not blacklisted, and procurement continued unchecked.

The report also highlighted that the procurement framework itself incentivised adulteration.

Excessive reliance on the lowest price (L1) led to acceptance of abnormally low bids, including drastic price drops that made supply of pure ghee unviable.

In multiple cases, post-auction price reductions were allowed through informal communication, directly violating tender norms. Also mandatory food safety regulations were ignored. Even after β-Sitosterol testing became compulsory from July 1, 2022, TTD failed to enforce it in its procurement process.

As a result, the report found over 70 lakh kilograms of ghee were procured without mandatory testing, and large quantities were accepted without proper verification.

In a deeply alarming lapse, ghee consignments were accepted and used for preparing Srivari Laddu prasadam even before laboratory test results were received.

The report also uncovered an organised adulteration network, where a key supplier manufactured adulterated ghee using vegetable oils and additives, and continued supply through intermediary dairies even after disqualification, pointing to a coordinated attempt to bypass safeguards.

The committee has recommended strict disciplinary action against all responsible officials, including those who approved dilution of tender norms and failed to act on confirmed adulteration. It has called for immediate blacklisting of all erring suppliers involved in the adulteration and fraudulent supply chain, along with initiation of legal and penal action.

 A complete overhaul of the procurement system has been recommended with procurement wing with a qualified head, develop a digital procurement manual/e-portal, shift from L1 (lowest-price) to QCBS (Quality-cum-Cost-Based Selection), implement vendor empanelment, and explore direct procurement from reputable cooperatives (e.g., Mother Dairy, Amul) via NCDFI.

The committee has stressed an urgent need to establish robust, real-time in-house testing infrastructure to detect adulteration before acceptance of consignments.

It has also recommended strict enforcement of food safety standards, removal of conflicts of interest in committee structures, and introduction of independent oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability.