Tirupati dupatta 'scam' | Polyester shawls passed off as silk at Tirupati, TTD urges for ACB probe

Hyderabad: After the fake ghee and Parakamani theft cases, an internal vigilance inquiry by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has exposed yet another major irregularity that polyester shawls were allegedly passed off as silk for nearly a decade at the revered Tirumala temple.

According to the inquiry findings, the TTD paid around Rs 54 crore over the past 10 years to a single vendor for supplying Pattu Sariga Duppattas (silk shawls) used to honour donors, as part of the temple’s long-standing tradition.

The Vigilance Department collected samples of the shawls from the Vaibhavotsava Mandapam in Tirumala and sent them to the Central Silk Board (CSB) laboratories in Bengaluru and Dharmavaram for scientific analysis and quality checks.

The test results from both centres confirmed that the fabric composition was polyester × polyester, not silk × silk as specified in the tender. This finding conclusively established that the duppatas were not made of silk, contrary to the supplier’s contractual claim.

Records show that TTD had awarded the contract for the procurement of 15,000 Pattu Sariga Duppattas (silk × silk) at a rate of Rs 1,389.15 per piece to the same supplier. Interestingly, samples from the same consignment were earlier approved by the CSB office in Kancheepuram, while identical samples tested at the Bengaluru and Dharmavaram CSB laboratories failed the silk quality test.

The vigilance report hinted at possible foul play, observing that the sample sent by a TTD warehouse official may have been substituted or that the approval process at the Kancheepuram laboratory might have been influenced. The report was recently placed before the TTD Board, which has now requested the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct a detailed investigation into the alleged procurement scam.

In Resolution No. 429 dated September 16, the TTD Board directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (CVSO) to conduct a detailed inquiry into the quality of the Pattu Sariga Duppatas supplied under existing agreements and submit a report for the board’s consideration.

Pursuant to these directions, samples were collected from two locations — the fresh stock at the warehouse godown in Tirupati and approved samples available at the Vaibhavotsava Mandapam in Tirumala. Each set of two samples was sent to the Joint Director, CSB Dharmavaram, and the Director, CSB Bengaluru, for quality verification.

“The fresh stock samples from the warehouse godown, Tirupati (02 Nos) and the approved samples from Vaibhavotsava Mandapam, Tirumala (02 Nos) were both supplied by M/s VRS Export, Nagari. When tested at the CSB laboratories in Bengaluru and Dharmavaram, the samples were found to have a composition of Polyester × Polyester, which violates the tender specification of Silk × Silk. Silk holograms were also not found on the so-called Pattu Sariga Duppatas. TTD had awarded the contract for the procurement of 15,000 such duppattas at Rs 1,389.15 each to the said supplier,” the TTD Board’s resolution, seen by Deccan Herald, said.

The vigilance inquiry further revealed that M/s VRS Export, Nagari has several sister concerns, including M/s Tirumala Fabrics, M/s Nanna Cottages, and M/s VM Raja Power Loom Unit.

“It was found that a total of Rs 54,95,90,782 worth of cloth materials were purchased from M/s VRS Exports and its sister concerns between 2015 and 2025. Hence, the tenderer clearly cheated the TTD and breached the tender conditions by supplying cheaper polyester material instead of silk, causing a financial loss to the TTD exchequer. Criminal action may be initiated against the supplier and others involved,” the TTD Board’s note file stated.