AP Finance Minister said NDDB reports flagged possible animal fat in TTD ghee and accused the previous YSRCP government of suppressing findings.
AP Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav addresses the media on alleged ghee adulteration in TTD laddu procurement (Photo: File)
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav on Saturday said that the ghee samples from TTD sent to the NDDB clearly stated that there was a possibility of the presence of animal fats, and that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had quoted the same report.
Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the previous YSRCP government treated the procurement of ghee for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu as a commercial transaction without having faith in Sri Venkateswara Swamy. "When such a sensational issue comes to the notice of the government, should it not be told to the public or should it be suppressed as they did in 2022? As a responsible person he (CM Naidu) revealed it in an internal meeting," he said.
The minister alleged that the ghee samples sent to Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru in 2022 clearly stated that the commodity was adulterated. But the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government suppressed the report.
Keshav said that the samples sent to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) clearly stated that there was a possibility of the presence of animal fats, and that CM Naidu had quoted the same report. He further said the board appointed by the previous government altered the tendering condition for procurement of ghee paving way for smaller companies with lesser turnover.
Keshav said the Special Investigation Team, which had submitted its chargesheet, clearly stated that the ghee adulteration fraud was to the tune of Rs 240 crore. He also alleged that the personal assistant of YV Subba Reddy, then TTD Chairman, received Rs 4 crore from dairy companies and that money was diverted to other accounts.
