After the controversial Tirupati laddu adulteration incident, which led to the involvement of the Supreme Court, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for a complete overhaul of systems within the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
On Saturday, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao issued an order discontinuing the reverse tendering system in the TTD, a practice that was being used in various state government departments, especially in the irrigation sector.
“These instructions must be strictly followed in the TTD with immediate effect,” Shyamala Rao said.
The reverse tendering process had led to the procurement of ghee from multiple suppliers, one of which—A R Dairy Foods—was found responsible for supplying adulterated ghee, triggering the entire controversy over the Tirupati laddu.
The order came just hours after the Chief Minister conducted a review meeting with TTD officials at Sri Padmavathi Guest House in Tirumala, where he proposed several reforms for the temple's management.
Naidu stressed that the feedback from devotees regarding TTD services should be a priority, and special efforts should be made to gather and assess their opinions for potential implementation.
He instructed State Endowment Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy to implement a similar feedback mechanism at all major temples, modeled after the one used at Tirumala, to improve facilities for pilgrims.
The Chief Minister urged TTD officials to focus on promoting the glory, sanctity, and devotion associated with the Tirumala shrine, emphasizing that only the chanting of "Govinda Nama Smarana" should resonate in Tirumala.
He noted that Tirumala is the country's holiest spiritual hub, and everyone should work to enhance the glory of Lord Sri Venkateswara and the sanctity of Tirumala.
Naidu emphasized that there should be no compromise in serving the common devotees, and that VIP culture should be minimized. He added that everyone should respect the sentiments of devotees and act accordingly.
Devotees should leave Tirumala with good memories of their spiritual experience, he asserted.
Among other directives, he instructed officials to make advance plans for water availability, increase forest coverage from the current 72% to 80% over a five-year period, implement biodiversity protection measures in TTD forests, and maintain the quality of laddu and Anna Prasadam, as devotees are currently satisfied with the high standards, achieved by using the best quality raw materials.