Amid Tirupati laddoo row, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate irregularities in the procurement of ghee and other matters related to temple operations.
“An IG level or above officer manned SIT will be formed. It will probe all the reasons, misuse of power and give a report to the government. The government will take stringent action to avoid recurrences (laddu adulteration), there is no compromise,” Naidu was quoted as saying.
The development comes after Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, revealed usage of sub-standard ghee for making ladoos.
This supported the claim made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, who had criticized the procurement procedures for ghee during the YSRCP government, alleging that lax standards had led to the compromise in quality.
Meanwhile, TTD has announced the formation of a sensory panel to assess the quality of food offerings, following the controversy over the temple’s famous laddoo prasadam.
It will, reports say, evaluate food samples based on aroma, taste, and texture.