MLA suspects quality of ghee being used for laddus at Simhachalam temple

It is being procured for ₹385 a kg from a UP-based company against the market price of at least ₹650, raising concerns over its quality, says Ganta Srinivasa Rao

Amid the Tirupati laddu controversy, Bheemunipatnam Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao suspects poor quality ghee is being used in the preparation of Laddu Prasadam at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple on the Simhachalam hill in Visakhapatnam.

The MLA visited the temple on Saturday (September 21, 2024) and offered prayers. Later, as part of the inspection, he checked the ingredients used in the prasadam, including the ghee, and the process of preparation by the staff. He visited the material storing room and checked the register entries, weight of laddus etc. He found that an Uttar Pradesh-based trader had been supplying ghee at ₹385 a kg, and raised doubts with the officials over its quality.

“One kg of ghee of Visakha Dairy, or Amul is priced around ₹650-700. Organic or better quality ghee may cost more than ₹1,000 a kg. How can you accept the ghee which is being supplied for just ₹385?” he questioned the Devasthanam staff.

The food safety officers who accompanied the MLA collected random samples of various ingredients, which would be sent for testing.

Procurement price decreasing

Mr. Ganta later told the media that he was shocked after checking the details of ghee purchases in the temple’s store room. During 2019-20, a kg of ghee was bought for ₹500. In 2020-21, it was procured for ₹488 per kg and in 2021-22 for ₹591. Surprisingly, in 2022-23, the Devasthanam procured ghee for ₹393 a kg from an Uttar Pradesh-based company. During 2023-24, they changed several agencies and ghee was bought at ₹385, and ₹529, while in the current year, it was being procured for ₹385 a kg.

“When the prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing, the price of ghee being procured by the Devasthanam has decreased by more than ₹200 a kg, which is quite shocking to me,” the MLA said.

“When we have a Visakha Dairy unit located just 20 km away, what is the need to procure ghee from Uttar Pradesh? In the name of reverse tendering process, the YSRCP government has played with the sentiments of devotees. If some agency provides a kg of ghee for ₹100, will they accept it?” he asked.

When compared with the laddus made at the Simhachalam temple some years ago, “the present laddus do not look good at all”, he said.

He asked the Devasthanam authorities to increase the CCTV cameras in the store room and the laddu preparation room immediately, as there was only one CCTV camera now. He sought the CCTV footage of the last few months. “If we find any irregularities, we will recommend strict action against the persons responsible,” he said.

BJP MLA seeks probe

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam North MLA and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) P. Vishnu Kumar Raju demanded an inquiry into the issue. He said one kg of ghee was procured for ₹385 including GST, which means they have got it for ₹340 a kg. It is impossible to procure quality ghee for such a low price. The same UP-based company is supplying ghee to the Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram. There should be a probe, he said.

Published - September 21, 2024 08:53 pm IST