TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will purchase at least 20 per cent of its total ghee requirement from 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. This assurance was given by TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal here on Tuesday to the AP Legislative Committee on Government Assurances. The EO said that the decision would be furnished to the Board of Trustees for approval.
The AP Legislative Assurance Committee led by Chairman Gollapalli Surya Rao, reviewed the ghee purchases and maintenance of Dairy Farm and welfare of the cattle, which was questioned during the last visit to the Sri Venkateswara Dairy Farm by the committee. Twelve tonnes of ghee is needed for Tirumala temple for pooja, lamps and mainly for preparation of laddus.
According to the rules and regulations, 65 per cent is purchased from one company and 35 per cent from another company, so far. “After GST, any company from all over the country can supply ghee to the TTD,” he explained. The EO said that because of the huge quantity of ghee, there was no bid to supply it from AP, and they purchased from other sources mainly from Karnataka.
The committee felt and requested purchase of at least 20 per cent of ghee from 13 districts of AP. JEO Pola Bhaskar explained to the committee that as per instructions on their last visit, action was taken, and within 11 months a new dairy farm at Palamaner was constructed and 350 cattle were shifted and another 960 cattle would be sent there soon.