No Compromise In Tirumala Laddu Adulteration Case: Pawan Kalyan
“Adulteration of prasadam is extremely distressing and an affront to the faith of Hindu devotees”: Pawan Kalyan
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday asserted that there will be no compromise in the ongoing investigations into irregularities at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), including adulteration of the sacred Tirumala laddu prasadam.
“Adulteration of prasadam is extremely distressing and an affront to the faith of Hindu devotees,” the Deputy CM declared at his Maata-Manthi programme with employees of the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department at Mangalagiri.
Pawan underlined that what happens at the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is intrinsically linked to the religious sentiments of Hindus across the country. He said instances of corruption in TTD during the previous YSRC regime are now getting exposed one by one.
He pointed out that while the adulteration of laddu prasadam and irregularities in the Parakamani case are already under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, the fake silk garments episode has emerged as the third major scam in TTD.
Responding to the issues raised by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development employees, the deputy Chief minister said their joys of being promoted must reflect in improvement in the quality of services the staff provide to people.
Recalling that he himself is the son of a government employee, Pawan maintained that he clearly understands the difficulties and aspirations of workers.
Pawan charged that during the previous YSRC government, postings and promotions had been governed by a “rate card” with no transparency. In contrast, the present coalition government has prioritised seniority and sincerity. He said that in the last one-and-a-half years, more than 10,000 employees have been promoted in the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department — an unprecedented exercise even compared to the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
The Deputy CM maintained that he insisted on promotions being given strictly based on eligibility norms. “We did not entertain even recommendations from ministers and MLAs,” he declared.
Pawan outlined major reforms, including making all the 13,350-gram panchayats as independent administrative units, appointing a dedicated secretary for each panchayat and renaming the post as Village Development Officer. Villages with over 10,000 population have been identified as Rurban Panchayats for urban-level development.
Assuring protection of employees’ rights and safety, the deputy Chief minister warned of strict action if women employees are harassed. He emphasised on transparent, people-centric governance.
