The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the adulterated ghee case has found that the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam was supplied with adulterated ghee for nearly 11 months between May 2022 and March 2023, during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure.
According to the SIT’s findings, the temple procured around 3.25 lakh kg of ghee from Rajesh Corporation of Tirupati at a cost of ₹15.89 crore after deviating from its long-standing practice of sourcing ghee from dairies run by milk cooperative societies.
Investigators said the ghee supplied through Rajesh Corporation was allegedly sourced from Bhole Baba Dairy, which has already been accused of supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The SIT had earlier concluded that the product supplied by Bhole Baba Dairy to TTD was not pure ghee but a mixture of vegetable oils and certain chemicals.
The probe found that Rajesh Corporation does not operate its own dairy and is suspected to have procured the adulterated product from firms linked to Bhole Baba Dairy before supplying it to the Srisailam temple. Officials said the investigation has also revealed that Bhole Baba Dairy distributed adulterated ghee through multiple firms based in Tirupati, raising concerns over the scale of the supply network.
Also read: TTD knew of Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration, took no step: SIT
Temple records examined by the SIT show that the Srisailam Devasthanam trust board had resolved to procure ghee exclusively from cooperative dairies. Vijaya Dairy in Nandyal had repeatedly secured the supply contract by offering competitive rates in previous tenders.
However, in 2022, a dispute arose after temple authorities sought further price reductions. Vijaya Dairy reportedly declined, citing an inability to supply ghee at the reduced rate. Rajesh Corporation subsequently offered to supply ghee at ₹489 per kg, undercutting the cooperative dairy and securing the contract. At the time, there were speculations that Vijaya Dairy had been deliberately sidelined.
The Srisailam temple sells over one lakh laddus daily on average, making ghee procurement a critical operational requirement. Following the controversy, Vijaya Dairy resumed supplying ghee to the temple from April 2023, officials said.
The SIT continues to examine procurement decisions and supply chains to determine accountability and assess whether similar practices were followed at other temples.
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