The Telangana State Endowments Department has issued orders to the Executive Officers of all temples in the state that only state-owned Vijaya Ghee should be used for making ladoos and other prasadams. For this, it has been made clear that several agreements already in force will have to be cancelled.
With this, many temples, including the famous Yadagirigutta, are preparing to use only ‘Vijaya’ ghee in laddus and other prasadams from January 1, 2025. The Telangana State Endowments Department has already responded to the controversy over the tenders for ghee used for making laddus in TTD. It issued orders on August 22 to use only ‘Vijaya’ ghee, a government-run company.
However, ghee is being taken from old contractors in many temples. In the Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple, Bhadrachalam, it has been tied up with a private dairy. After hearing from the media, the higher officials issued a memo to the Bhadrachalam temple EO.
Soon after an on-line meeting with the EOs of all the temples in the state was held, in which Commissioner Sridhar was instructed by the Principal Secretary of the Endowments Department, Shailaja Ramaiyar. On this occasion, the Commissioner clarified that only Vijaya Dairy should be used in all the temples in the state as per the government’s decision.
Many temples in the state have entered into ghee supply agreements with a validity period till March 2025. However, it is learnt that the Telangana government is canceling them three months in advance.
A dairy that currently collects a large amount of milk in the joint Nalgonda district has been supplying ghee to Yadagirigutta for a long time. This is due to pressure to continue the agreement that is in place until March next year. However, it seems that a key official in the Endowments Department has proposed to take 50-50 percent from both dairies.
Although the Principal Secretary of the Endowments Department has ordered to use only ‘Vijaya’ ghee, some officials are currently making a new proposal, which has become a topic of discussion.