The contractor supplied polyester dupattas (A kind of Indian scarf) by passing them off as pure silk ones at a huge price!

  • Irregularities in supplying dupattas follow the laddu scam in the Tirupati temple.

  • Looted 54 crores rupees in 10 years.

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) – Following the case of adulteration of laddus in the Venkateshwara temple here, another irregularity has come to light regarding the sale of dupattas given as Prasad. A contractor supplied polyester dupattas instead of pure mulberry silk for 10 consecutive years, from 2015 to 2025 while billing the TTD as if they were silk dupattas. A dupatta costing Rs 350 in the market was sold for Rs 1300 to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The TTD Trust paid 54 crores to the said contractor in the last 10 years. The fraud came to light following the instructions by TTD President BR Naidu to carry out an internal inquiry.

According to Naidu, the temple gives silk dupattas to big donors as Prasad. Dupattas are  used in rituals too. Here also they have been found to be made of cheap polyester.  The Board sent samples of both kinds of dupatta to two laboratories for testing. Samples were tested in two laboratories. Both the reports have declared that cloth used was polyester. After receiving the reports, the TTD Trust has cancelled all contracts to that company and the entire matter has been handed over to the State Anti-Corruption Department for investigation.

Editorial Perspectives

  • The officers responsible for awarding this contract without proper verification or through deliberate negligence must also face action.
  • After these incidents, it has become necessary to investigate whether corruption is occurring in other matters as well!