Adulterated Ghee Supply Row Reaches Srisailam Temple; SIT Finds 11-Month Irregularities!

The adulterated ghee supply controversy, which surfaced during the tenure of the YSR Congress Party government, has reportedly extended beyond Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed the adulterated ghee case linked to TTD, found that substandard ghee was allegedly supplied to the Srisailam temple for nearly 11 months between May 2022 and March 2023. Reports indicate that the temple, which usually procures ghee from Vijay Dairy, instead purchased 3,25,064 kilograms of ghee from Rajesh Corporation, a Tirupati-based firm, paying approximately ₹15.89 crore during the period.

Investigations revealed that the ghee supplied was allegedly sourced from Bhole Baba Dairy, which had earlier been accused of supplying adulterated products made with vegetable oils and chemical additives instead of pure ghee. Rajesh Corporation, which does not own a dairy facility, is suspected to have procured the ghee through intermediaries linked to Bhole Baba Dairy. Officials stated that the Srisailam Devasthanam had previously resolved to procure ghee only from dairy units operated by milk cooperatives. However, after price disagreements with Vijay Dairy in 2022, the contract was reportedly awarded to Rajesh Corporation, which quoted a lower price of ₹489 per kilogram. Vijay Dairy resumed ghee supply to the temple from April 2023 onwards. The temple is known to sell over one lakh laddus daily, raising concerns over quality and safety during the disputed supply period.