The cabinet said laboratory tests had revealed several adulterations in the ghee supplied for prasadam and decided to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to malpractices while ordering institutional reforms. | Photo credit: File photo
The state government has promised decisive action after revelations that adulterated ghee was used in the prasadam of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, describing the episode as a serious breach of public trust and sanctity of the temple.
At a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Finance Minister Pyyavula Keshav said the government was taking the issue with utmost seriousness. “Protecting the sanctity of TTD is our paramount duty. Faith, devotion and purity of devotees must remain intact,” he said. He announced that a short-term administrative committee has been set up to examine the report of the Special Investigation Team submitted under the supervision of the CBI and that a detailed report will be submitted to the government within a specified time frame.
Mr. Keshav explained the Cabinet proceedings and said that the SIT report had pointed out serious irregularities in the procurement process of TTD since 2019. These included dilution of tendering norms, submission of fake documents and major deficiencies in quality control. Laboratory tests conducted by NDDB CALF revealed possible additives such as soy, sunflower, canola, cotton, fish oil and tallow. The report also noted the deliberate lowering of eligibility criteria and the participation of unqualified suppliers, leading to the supply of substandard ghee. Former directors AV Dharma Reddy and Anil Kumar Simhal and former F&CAO O. Balaji were held responsible for the outages. The cabinet decided to initiate strict legal and administrative measures against those responsible, strengthen quality control systems and implement institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Satyakumar Yadav criticized previous administrations for ignoring warnings from the Central Food Technology Research Institute and relaxing tender conditions that he said allowed the use of harmful substances in the production of ghee. The ghee was made without real milk, undermining the faith of devotees and the sacred traditions of the temple, he said, describing the episode as part of a ₹250 crore scam that damaged the reputation of the shrine.
Minister for Information and Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarathi said the government’s priority remains to protect the faith of devotees and the sanctity of TTD. Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar said that the issue will not be politicized and that all remedial steps will be taken in a transparent manner. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and other ministers also emphasized the need for quick accountability and systemic reforms.
The Cabinet unanimously adopted a zero-tolerance approach to unfair practices, committed to strict action, institutional reforms and transparent communication with the public. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reiterated that protecting the faith of millions of devotees and preserving the sanctity of Tirumala is the highest priority of the government.
Published – 03 Feb 2026 20:12 IST
