K M Dayashankar
TIRUMALA, SEPTEMBER 05, 2024: With an objective to provide more delicious Srivari Laddus to the multitude of devotees, the TTD is now procuring quality ghee from Nandini ghee from the Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited, said TTD Executive Officer J Syamala Rao.
Along with the Additional EO Venkaiah Chowdhary, the EO performed puja and the lorry of KMF commenced from TTD marketing godown in Tirupati on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said, focus was being laid on improving the taste and quality of Laddu prasadam by taking the experts opinion. The experts also stated that the quality of ghee has a major role to play in deciding the taste of Srivari Laddus. The TTD did not have proper labs and private labs did not properly test the ghee quality. Hence, the TTD has set up a new laboratory for sensory perception to assess the quality of ghee and its staff are being trained at Mysore, he stated.
The EO also said that a four-member experts committee has been set up to speed up purchase of quality ghee that included Dr Surendranath, Dr Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, Swarnalatha and Dr Mahadevan, who have vast knowledge in this area. Based on the guidelines and recommendations provided by the committee, tender have been called for and the tenderers were also given clear instructions that there will not be any compromise on the quality of ghee and serious action will be taken if they have provided adulterated ghee. And they have to follow the ‘sensory parameters’ which is mandatory. With all these new guidelines, some old tenderers who supplied adulterated ghee earlier have not even participated, he maintained.
Laddus supplied to other places
With the devotees ‘footfall’ in the last five days at the temple shrine following the rains and floods, the TTD has dispatched over 75,000 laddus to the outside places and TTD Information centres besides all the major TTD local temples including Appalayagunta, Kapilatheertham, Srinivasa Mangapuram, the TTD EO said.
He said that they were receiving requests from the devotees from places where TTD information centres are located at Chennai, Bengaluru, Vellor and outside temples like Rampachodavaram, Vontimitta, Pithapuram, Visakapatnam, Vijayawada, Amaravathi to provide laddus. JEO (health and education) Gauthami, CVSO Sridhar, deputy EO Padmavathi, Nandini Liaison officer Mallikarjun Reddy and others were also present.
