YSRC Suppressed Ghee Adulteration Report, Now Politicising It: Kesav

Vijayawada: Finance minister Payyavula Kesav on Saturday accused the previous YSRC government of suppressing a 2022 report on adulterated ghee used in the Tirupati laddu and attempting to politicise the issue through what he termed a false campaign.Addressing the media here, Kesav said the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) had confirmed adulteration in its 2022 report, but the then YSRC government failed to act and buried the findings. “This is not an issue for political mileage. It concerns the faith of millions of devotees. The Telugu Desam has never politicised the affairs of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams,” the minister said. The issue resurfaced after the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), in its July 2024 reports, detected residues of vegetable and animal fat in ghee supplied to TTD. Based on these findings, a Special Investigation Team filed a charge sheet. Kesav alleged that YSRC leaders were now misleading the public by claiming the NDDB reports showed no adulteration. “After suppressing the truth for two years, they are now running a false narrative,” he charged. He recalled that during the Telugu Desam government’s 2014–19 tenure, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu constituted a committee to ensure laddu quality and imposed strict norms, including a ₹250 crore annual turnover requirement for ghee suppliers. “After 2019, the YSRC government diluted these norms by reducing the turnover limit to `150 crore, compromising quality,” he said. Kesav said devotees had repeatedly complained about the decline in laddu quality during the YSRC regime, but no corrective steps were taken despite the CFTRI report. After the NDA government assumed office in 2024, Naidu appointed Syamala Rao as joint executive officer of TTD to streamline administration and address the adulteration issue, the minister said. Kesav urged the Chief Minister to order a comprehensive departmental inquiry and ensure strict action against those responsible. “TTD is linked to the sentiments of lakhs of devotees. Protecting its sanctity is non-negotiable,” he said. MD Ilyas | DC Vijayawada, Jan. 31 Finance minister Payyavula Kesav on Saturday accused the previous YSRC government of suppressing a 2022 report on adulterated ghee used in the Tirupati laddu and attempting to politicise the issue through what he termed a false campaign. Addressing the media here, Kesav said the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) had confirmed adulteration in its 2022 report, but the then YSRC government failed to act and buried the findings. “This is not an issue for political mileage. It concerns the faith of millions of devotees. The Telugu Desam has never politicised the affairs of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams,” the minister said. The issue resurfaced after the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), in its July 2024 reports, detected residues of vegetable and animal fat in ghee supplied to TTD. Based on these findings, a Special Investigation Team filed a charge sheet. Kesav alleged that YSRC leaders were now misleading the public by claiming the NDDB reports showed no adulteration. “After suppressing the truth for two years, they are now running a false narrative,” he charged. He recalled that during the Telugu Desam government’s 2014–19 tenure, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu constituted a committee to ensure laddu quality and imposed strict norms, including a ₹250 crore annual turnover requirement for ghee suppliers. “After 2019, the YSRC government diluted these norms by reducing the turnover limit to `150 crore, compromising quality,” he said. Kesav said devotees had repeatedly complained about the decline in laddu quality during the YSRC regime, but no corrective steps were taken despite the CFTRI report. After the NDA government assumed office in 2024, Naidu appointed Syamala Rao as joint executive officer of TTD to streamline administration and address the adulteration issue, the minister said. Kesav urged the Chief Minister to order a comprehensive departmental inquiry and ensure strict action against those responsible. “TTD is linked to the sentiments of lakhs of devotees. Protecting its sanctity is non-negotiable,” he said.



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