Ghee adulteration: Panel blames ex-TTD officials

A committee probing lapses in ghee procurement for Tirumala laddu prasadam has blamed former TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy for major procurement lapses, allowing adulterated ghee in sacred prasadam. The panel, comprising retired Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Dinesh Kumar, identified Dharma Reddy as the main culprit responsible for dilution of tender norms and failure to act against suppliers on confirmed adulteration. Adulterated ghee was allowed into the system despite clear scientific evidence, and over 7 million kilograms of ghee were procured without mandatory testing.