The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the adulterated ghee supply to major religious institutions has uncovered that the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at 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 approximately 3.25 lakh kg of ghee worth ₹15.89 crore from Rajesh Corporation, Tirupati, marking a significant departure from its long-standing practice of sourcing ghee from milk cooperative-run dairies.
Shift Away From Cooperatives Under Scrutiny
Investigators have raised concerns over the decision to bypass cooperative dairy suppliers, traditionally considered more traceable and quality-controlled, in favour of a private intermediary with no dairy manufacturing infrastructure of its own. The SIT noted that Rajesh Corporation does not operate a dairy facility, pointing to serious lapses in supplier vetting and procurement governance.
The investigation indicates that the ghee supplied to Srisailam was allegedly sourced from Bhole Baba Dairy, which has already been implicated in supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). An earlier forensic analysis in the TTD case concluded that the product was not pure ghee but a blend of vegetable oils and chemical additives.
Networked Adulteration And Supply Chain Risks
The SIT’s probe suggests that Bhole Baba Dairy distributed adulterated ghee through multiple firms operating out of Tirupati, pointing to a wider, coordinated supply network rather than an isolated breach. This raises troubling questions about the scale of adulteration in institutional dairy procurement and the ease with which non-compliant products can penetrate high-volume, high-trust consumption channels.
Officials said Rajesh Corporation is suspected of procuring the adulterated product from firms linked to Bhole Baba Dairy before supplying it to the Srisailam temple, highlighting systemic weaknesses in traceability and quality-assurance mechanisms.
Food Safety, Faith And Public Trust
The findings have serious implications beyond regulatory compliance. Ghee used in temple rituals is consumed by devotees as prasadam, making adulteration not just a food safety issue but one that directly affects public trust and religious sentiment.
Experts argue that cooperative dairies, while not immune to quality challenges, generally operate under stricter procurement norms, batch traceability, and testing protocols compared to loosely regulated private trading entities.
Policy Lessons For Institutional Dairy Procurement
The Srisailam case underscores the urgent need for:
- Mandatory sourcing norms favouring certified dairies for religious and public institutions
- Independent quality audits and random testing of bulk dairy supplies
- End-to-end traceability for high-volume ghee procurement
- Stronger coordination between food safety authorities and temple administrations
As investigations widen, the episode serves as a cautionary tale on the risks of cost-driven procurement decisions that overlook quality assurance, especially in sensitive institutional settings.
