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TTD has also set up a state-of-the-art laboratory in Tirumala.
The TTD will implement the ghee procurement process after decisions are taken by the board committee and the governing body of the Karnataka government.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams recently announced that 5,000 tonnes of Nandini Ghee will be used to prepare Tirumala laddus and other prasadams in its affiliated temples. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah waved the tanker carrying Nandini ghee to the Srivari Temple in Tirumala, Local 18 Andhra Pradesh reported. Among all the prasadams prepared in Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, pure ghee is considered necessary to make the food luscious. At the Srivari Temple in Tirumala, people constantly prepare ghee in Mahakadai to prepare large quantities of Prasadham. As of now, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams are purchasing Nandini ghee through the marketing department. A notification to purchase ghee for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has been posted online.
TTD will implement the ghee procurement process after the decision of the board committee and governing body. TTD has also set up a state-of-the-art laboratory in Tirumala to test ghee without compromising its quality. It purchases ghee through e-procurement through tendering every six months. So far, tenders are called for twice a year. As of March 2021, Karnataka Milk Federation’s Nandini brand ghee is supplied to TTD. Karnataka Milk Federation, which was ranked L-3 in the tender held in March 2021, supplied only 20% of the 20 lakh kg ghee to TTD under L-1 and L-2 licenses . Following this, the Karnataka Milk Federation itself did not participate in the bidding process and decided that TTD would have to supply ghee at a lower price.
This and many other accusations make cooperation between KMF and TTD more difficult. TTD chief executive AV Dharma Reddy claimed that the Karnataka Milk Federation was not involved in the bidding process for procurement of ghee in March 2023. But now, the issues between the two organizations appear to be over for now. TTD has entered into an agreement with Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to supply Nandini ghee. In the process, TTD decided to purchase 350 metric tonnes of ghee at Rs 470 per kg during the current financial year.
