Amaravati: As the Tirupati laddu controversy has sent shockwaves among the devotees all over, the Andhra Pradesh government and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) initiated efforts to salvage the situation.
Against this backdrop, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a comprehensive sanitization initiative aimed at restoring the integrity of food offerings at the Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. On its part, the TTD said it had taken immediate damage-control measures once lab tests revealed massive irregularities in the supply of ghee used in making Tirupati laddu.
On his part, former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy denied the allegations of using animal fat in Tirupati laddu during his regime, saying that substandard ingredients were rejected about 18 times at that time. He blamed the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) for 'politicising' what he described as religious matters.
Whereas, CM Naidu gave a detailed reaction on the allegations of substandard ingredients used in laddu making during the previous YSR Congress Party government, vowing to restore the sanctity of the laddu. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining high quality and safety standards for the temple's revered 'Prasadam', the consecrated food distributed to devotees.
"We will not tolerate irregularities and our efforts will ensure that the sanctity of the temple is upheld," Naidu stated, as the new administration moves forward with rigorous testing and oversight of all food served to devotees.
Naidu alleged that recent investigations revealed the use of inferior ingredients in the preparation of 'Prasadam'. "We have gathered substantial evidence indicating the use of substandard material, and we will take stringent actions against those responsible," he stated in a press release.
Naidu made these comments on the sidelines of inaugurating an Anna Canteen at the secretariat. Anna Canteens offer subsidised meals for poor people.
IT Minister Nara Lokesh, who accompanied Naidu, further condemned the YSRCP government for what he termed a decline in the quality of 'Annadanam' (free food service) and the iconic Tirupati laddu. Lokesh claimed that during the previous administration, the temple's food offerings were tainted by corruption, highlighting the alleged use of adulterated ghee.
"Immediately after the NDA government took office, we appointed a new executive officer (EO) with full authority to reform the system and prevent past irregularities," Lokesh said. He noted that stringent measures are now in place to ensure the quality of all food items served at the temple, including comprehensive testing of ghee, rice, and vegetables.
Lokesh further revealed that the samples of ghee were sent to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) lab for analysis. "The results confirm the presence of lard, beef fat, and fish oil in the ghee used for Prasadam, Lokesh claimed. He reiterated that Naidu's administration is committed to maintaining the highest standards in food quality for the devotees.
Meanwhile, TTD executive officer Shyamala Rao said that he has been receiving complaints about lack of quality in Tirupati laddu for quite some time and it has been proved in the lab tests as well. TTD has no facilities of its own to test the quality of ingredients used in the laddu making and the ghee suppliers had taken advantage of this, he said.
EO Shyamala Rao further said that when they got the laddus tested, it was revealed that there were largescale irregularities in the quality of ghee. The NDDB tests showed that traces of animal fat were found in the ghee and immediate steps were initiated to rectify the same. The ghee quality was just 20 points as against the required 100 points, he said.
In the wake of allegations over Tirupati temple's laddu, Karnataka government instructed all notified temples in the state to use Nandini ghee mandatorily for Prasadam. The Muzrai department has issued a circular, directing that only Nandini Ghee be used in all the notified temples under the Religious Endowment Department of Karnataka State in all types of Prasadam and that the quality of Prasadam prepared in temples should be maintained.
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