NEW DELHI: The controversy over the adulteration of laddus, part of Tirupati temple prasadam, intensified on Friday with the Centre intervening and seeking a report.
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, meanwhile, denied allegations of the use of animal fat in preparation of the Tirupati laddu during his tenure and in turn accused Chandra Babu Naidu of "playing with the sentiments of devotees for political gains".
The YSRCP chief said that the tender process occurs every six months and the qualification criteria has not changed for decades.
"The tender process occurs every six months, and the qualification criteria has not changed for decades. Suppliers must provide an NABL certificate and a product quality certificate. TTD collects samples from the ghee, and only products that pass certification are used," Reddy said.
"TDP is politicizing religious matters. We have rejected the products in our regime 18 times," he added.
Centre seeks report
The Centre sought a full report on the issue and Union health minister JP Nadda said that the government will further the matter and take suitable actions
Union health minister JP Nadda also asked for a full report from CM Naidu and said that the government will further the matter and take suitable actions
During a press conference, Nadda said that he spoke to Naidu after the controversy erupted and announced speaking to state regulators for a thorough investigation
"I spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu after getting information about this and took details from him. I have asked him to share the available report so that I can examine it," Nadda said
"I will also speak to the state regulators and investigate this. Suitable action will be taken as per the food safety standards . As of now I have asked for the report and we will examine it," he added
Reports are shocking: Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam
Temple's executive officer Shamala Rao said that the contractors were also warned of stringent action if they supply adulterated and low-quality ghee.
"When I took over as executive officer TTD, the CM expressed concern on the ghee procured and the quality of the laddu which is considered to be very sacred and offered as 'Prasadam' to Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Any deviation in the quality will cause doing 'apavithram' (doing something which is not sacred). He wanted me to take steps to ensure that the sanctity of this temple is restored including getting pure cow milk ghee. We started working on that"
"We found that we don't have any internal lab to test adulteration in the ghee. There is no system to check the quality of ghee in outside labs also... The rates quoted by tenderers are unviable, they are so low that anyone can say that pure cow ghee cannot cost so less... We warned all suppliers that they will be blacklisted if the ghee supplied doesn't pass the lab test. We collected all samples and sent it to the best lab, it is government-controlled, and the reports have come and are shocking," he added.
Rao also announced setting up a four-member expert committee to keep a check on the ghee procured by the temple.
"The report says the ghee sample is adulterated with vegetable fat and also animal fat. Animal fat adulteration includes lard (pig fat), palm oil, beef tallow, and fish oil including grape seed and linseed. The ghee sample was a concoction of all this and the result was abnormally low. Pure milk fat should have a reading between 95.68 to 104.32, but all our ghee samples had values around 20, which means the ghee supplied is highly adulterated," he said.
"We started the procedure for blacklisting and also penalising the supplier. We formed an expert committee to improve ghee supplies and also to strengthen our internal system so that we don't face this problem again... We have found suppliers who have passed the tests... We have been asked by the expert committee to set up our own lab... This problem will be solved in the future," he added.
'Lab reports confirms presence of animal fat in the ghee'
This comes a day after Telugu Desam Party cited a laboratory report supporting the claims made by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of the renowned Tirumala laddu during the tenure of the previous government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
A lab test report confirmed the presence of animal fat in the ghee used to prepare the famous Tirumala laddu during the term of the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to the report, fish oil, beef tallow and lard was found in the sample of the prasad during the examination.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of mixing animal fat in the ghee used to prepare the prasad during its term.
"They (YSRCP govt) have spoiled the quality of the free food service and did not even leave Lord Venkateswara's laddu by using substandard ingredients," he said.
Naidu said that he was astonished to find that poor quality material was used to prepare Lord Venkateswara's 'prasadam.'
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, meanwhile, denied allegations of the use of animal fat in preparation of the Tirupati laddu during his tenure and in turn accused Chandra Babu Naidu of "playing with the sentiments of devotees for political gains".
The YSRCP chief said that the tender process occurs every six months and the qualification criteria has not changed for decades.
"The tender process occurs every six months, and the qualification criteria has not changed for decades. Suppliers must provide an NABL certificate and a product quality certificate. TTD collects samples from the ghee, and only products that pass certification are used," Reddy said.
"TDP is politicizing religious matters. We have rejected the products in our regime 18 times," he added.
Centre seeks report
The Centre sought a full report on the issue and Union health minister JP Nadda said that the government will further the matter and take suitable actions
Union health minister JP Nadda also asked for a full report from CM Naidu and said that the government will further the matter and take suitable actions
During a press conference, Nadda said that he spoke to Naidu after the controversy erupted and announced speaking to state regulators for a thorough investigation
"I spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu after getting information about this and took details from him. I have asked him to share the available report so that I can examine it," Nadda said
"I will also speak to the state regulators and investigate this. Suitable action will be taken as per the food safety standards . As of now I have asked for the report and we will examine it," he added
Reports are shocking: Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam
Temple's executive officer Shamala Rao said that the contractors were also warned of stringent action if they supply adulterated and low-quality ghee.
"When I took over as executive officer TTD, the CM expressed concern on the ghee procured and the quality of the laddu which is considered to be very sacred and offered as 'Prasadam' to Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Any deviation in the quality will cause doing 'apavithram' (doing something which is not sacred). He wanted me to take steps to ensure that the sanctity of this temple is restored including getting pure cow milk ghee. We started working on that"
"We found that we don't have any internal lab to test adulteration in the ghee. There is no system to check the quality of ghee in outside labs also... The rates quoted by tenderers are unviable, they are so low that anyone can say that pure cow ghee cannot cost so less... We warned all suppliers that they will be blacklisted if the ghee supplied doesn't pass the lab test. We collected all samples and sent it to the best lab, it is government-controlled, and the reports have come and are shocking," he added.
Rao also announced setting up a four-member expert committee to keep a check on the ghee procured by the temple.
"The report says the ghee sample is adulterated with vegetable fat and also animal fat. Animal fat adulteration includes lard (pig fat), palm oil, beef tallow, and fish oil including grape seed and linseed. The ghee sample was a concoction of all this and the result was abnormally low. Pure milk fat should have a reading between 95.68 to 104.32, but all our ghee samples had values around 20, which means the ghee supplied is highly adulterated," he said.
"We started the procedure for blacklisting and also penalising the supplier. We formed an expert committee to improve ghee supplies and also to strengthen our internal system so that we don't face this problem again... We have found suppliers who have passed the tests... We have been asked by the expert committee to set up our own lab... This problem will be solved in the future," he added.
'Lab reports confirms presence of animal fat in the ghee'
This comes a day after Telugu Desam Party cited a laboratory report supporting the claims made by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of the renowned Tirumala laddu during the tenure of the previous government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
A lab test report confirmed the presence of animal fat in the ghee used to prepare the famous Tirumala laddu during the term of the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to the report, fish oil, beef tallow and lard was found in the sample of the prasad during the examination.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of mixing animal fat in the ghee used to prepare the prasad during its term.
"They (YSRCP govt) have spoiled the quality of the free food service and did not even leave Lord Venkateswara's laddu by using substandard ingredients," he said.
Naidu said that he was astonished to find that poor quality material was used to prepare Lord Venkateswara's 'prasadam.'
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