Changed ghee brand behind 'animal fat in Tirupati laddoo' controversy?
Hyderabad: Massive controversy has erupted surrounding a recent lab report confirming Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's claims regarding the quality of ghee used for Tirupati laddoos during the YSR Congress Party's regime. The report revealed the presence of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig) in the ghee samples. This revelation has also brought the focus regarding the halt in the supply of the renowned Nandini ghee last year.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board, responsible for managing the temple, typically sources 5 lakh kg of ghee annually through tenders issued every six months. However, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government ceased sourcing Nandini ghee last year from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) after nearly 15 years, citing pricing disputes. KMF chairman Bheema Naik previously stated that the laddoos will not be the same anymore, emphasising the quality assurance that Nandini ghee provides.
Daily production of approximately 3.5 lakh laddoos at Tirupati requires substantial quantities of high-quality ingredients, including 400-500 kg of ghee, 750 kg of cashew nuts, and 200 kg of cardamom, with each laddoo costing around Rs 40 to produce.
Meanwhile, in response to the lab findings regarding the ghee's composition, a four member committee has been established by the TTD to keep a check on the ghee procured by the shrine. The committee will additionally advise on terms and conditions to be included for procuring quality ghee.
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Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
