Tirupati laddoo row: Tender document raises questions on ghee selection process

Amid a row over animal fat allegedly being found in laddoos served at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati temple, tender documents accessed exclusively by India Today raise questions about the ghee procurement process. The matter pertains to ghee procured by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) between August 2023 and July 2024 – when the YSR Congress Party was in power.
Clause 80 of the tender document mandates the supplier to submit a clearance certificate for each consignment of ghee from an NABL accredited and FSSAI approved laboratory to the TTD. Clause 81 necessitates the TTD to send the samples of ghee for lab testing.
Despite such stringent clauses, it raises questions as to how the adulteration in the ghee was not caught in the samples allegedly supplied to TTD between August 2023 and July 2024. It suggests that it might be either a case of oversight or deliberate exemption given to the ghee supplier.

Amid the row, TTD executive officer J Syamala Rao said the temple board had blacklisted AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd and initiated legal proceedings against it for allegedly supplying adulterated ghee. AR Dairy, one of the many suppliers of ghee to TTD, has denied allegations of adulteration.
The controversy erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, earlier this week, alleged that substandard ingredients and animal fat were found in the laddoos served as prasadam at Tirupati temple during the previous YSRCP regime.
Citing a lab report from Gujarat, Naidu claimed the presence of “beef tallow”, “lard” (relating to pig fat), and fish oil in the ghee.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, refuted the allegation, saying that no violation took place under his government. The former Chief Minister also accused Naidu of doing “politics in the name of God”.
July 2023: Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) hikes the price of Nandini Ghee.
July 2023: KMF confirms a halt in Nandini ghee supply as TTD empanels a new Tamil Nadu-based company to provide ghee at a cheaper rate. AR Dairy Food is among the firms to get a contract for the supply of ghee at Rs 320 per kg.
June 2024: Chandrababu Naidu government appoints JS Rao as TTD executive officer
July 2024: NDDB CALF report on ghee samples finds adulteration, including beef fat and fish oil. The contract with AR Dairy Food is cancelled post adulteration report.
August 2024: Nandini gets contract for the supply of ghee at Rs 470 per kg.