US EditionRs 54 crore scam at Tirupati temple: Contractor sold polyester shawls as pure mulberry silk
TTD discovered a decade-long scam where polyester dupattas were sold as pure mulberry silk, causing over Rs 54 crore in losses, with lab tests and vigilance reports confirming the fraud.
- TTD's Vigilance Department uncovered long-running procurement irregularities at Tirumala temple involving VRS Exports supplying polyester dupattas as silk from 2015–2025, with over Rs 54.95 crore manipulated.
- Procurement records show tenders awarded to VRS Exports during the previous YSR Congress Party government favored single-vendor supply and sister concerns, enabling repeated substitution of polyester for mandated mulberry silk.
- Samples from Tirupati warehouses and Vaibhavotsavam Mandapam tested by Central Silk Board laboratories revealed polyester fabric, missing mandatory silk holograms, and failed 20/22 denier and at least 31.5 denier specs.
- Following the vigilance review, the TTD Trust Board scrapped all contracts with the firm and referred the matter to the State Anti-Corruption Bureau for investigation, while B.R. Naidu, TTD Chairman, requested an ACB probe and reaffirmed commitment to transparency.
- Adding to earlier controversies, the scandal has shaken Tirumala Temple's integrity and millions of devotees' trust, while the YSR Congress Party dismisses allegations and Buggana Rajendranath Reddy criticizes TTD's claims.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Rs 54 crore silk dupatta scam shakes Tirumala Temple: Polyester shawls sold as 'pure silk'
A new fraud case has surfaced involving the supply of 'dupattas' purported to be pure silk to the prestigious Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, sending shockwaves through the temple administration and devotees alike. The Vigilance Department of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) uncovered widespread irregularities and deception by a vendor that supplied substandard polyester dupattas instead of authentic mulberry silk over a span of almost ten yea…
Rs 54 crore scam at Tirupati temple: Contractor sold polyester shawls as pure mulberry silk
The scam came to light when a vigilance probe revealed that the contractor had been supplying polyester shawls for years while billing them as pure mulberry silk, which the tender mandated
After fake ghee, Rs 55 crore silk dupatta scam rocks Tirupati Temple Trust; probe ordered
An internal vigilance inquiry has now uncovered that over the past decade, the trust may have been defrauded of more than Rs 55 crore through the purchase of silk dupattas that were, in reality, made of polyester.
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