Nandini ghee for Tirupathi Laddu ; KMF president statement not correct --TTD

Bengaluru ; The Tirupathi Tirumala Devasthanam trust (TTD) president Dharmareddy denied the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) president Bhima Naikas statement that the TTD has not allowed to supply Nandini ghee to prepare Tirupathi Laddus.

Speaking to ANI news agency, Dharmareddy clarified that TTD follows a transparent and competitive e-tender process to procure all required items, including ghee. The tenders are invited from suppliers across India, and the bids are finalized as per the tender rules. He emphasized that they are unaware of the bidders until the tender is opened, ensuring a fair and unbiased procurement process.

KMF had been supplying 45% Nandini brand ghee for laddu preparation in Tirupati since 2005. In 2022, they supplied 345 tonnes of ghee at ₹349 per kg, meeting the temple's demand at that time. However, this time around, due to increased demand for ghee in Karnataka and storage constraints, KMF did not participate in the TTD tender. Additionally, they did not secure the desired rate in the tender process, leading them to clarify that they are not currently supplying ghee for Tirupati laddus.

The state Congress supported KMF stand ,asserted that "Nandini" brand ghee maintains its reputation for quality and price and there is no need to compromise on it for the sake of securing the tender.

The party in a tweet alleged that BJP leader C T Ravi disappointed by success of implementation of five guarantee schemes announced by state congress government. Hence he making allegations about Laddu issue to divert attention of people.

The BJP state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel has been vocal about the issue, criticized the government and accuse them of neglecting the interests of Hindus. He alleges that the Congress policy of indifference towards temples and Hindu devotion has led to the disruption in the supply of Nandini ghee to Tirupati laddus.