Ghee Scandal: TTD's Laddus Tainted by Systemic Lapses

A commission report reveals systemic failures in Andhra Pradesh's TTD ghee procurement, uncovering adulteration and procedural lapses. Critical quality checks were ignored, allowing suppliers to provide adulterated ghee for the famed Tirupati laddus, with oversight and governance failures identified as primary culprits.

In a revealing report, a one-man commission appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government has exposed significant lapses in the procurement of ghee by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for its renowned laddus. The commission, led by retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar, found that TTD procured over 70 lakh kilograms of ghee without mandatory quality checks, allowing adulterated ghee into the supply chain.

The report attributed these failures to systemic administrative issues, highlighting that critical safety tests and lab reports indicating adulteration were ignored, while tender rules were not enforced. Suppliers reportedly provided inferior ghee, capitalizing on the lack of oversight and the omission of legally required checks.

The findings also accused the TTD Board and procurement officials of governance failures, as tenders were allegedly manipulated, with ineligible firms continuing to supply ghee due to relaxed norms and uncontrolled post-auction negotiations. These actions severely undermined due process, the report concluded.