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The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday, February 3, decided to form a Commission of Enquiry to identify the masterminds behind the adulteration of ghee used in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The decision was made following the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) report which the Cabinet believes to be riddled with several shortcomings.
The meeting chaired by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu decided that the Commission of Enquiry would address the gaps in the SIT report and probe the procurement process, tenders given to dairy companies and administrative lapses linked to the ghee adulteration.
During the meeting, ministers informed the CM that former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who was not a member of the purchase committee at the time, was reportedly invited as a special invitee. They also mentioned that committee members including then minister Kolusu Parthasarathi and Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy were not invited while discussing purchases.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan sought clarification on whether the role of former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy was mentioned in the SIT report and whether the charge sheet explicitly referred to animal fat. In an earlier report published by TNM, it was noted that the SIT clarified that the primary adulterant was palm oil and animal fat was not used.
The Cabinet discussed changes made to tender conditions and questioned why the then Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal, did not raise objections despite modifications to procurement norms.