Kendrapara: Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of laddus at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, similar concerns have surfaced at the historic Baldev Jew Temple in Kendrapara, Odisha. Servitors at the temple have raised alarms over the quality of ghee supplied by the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (OMFED).
The issue came to light when servitors detected a foul smell emanating from the ghee used in daily rituals. Upon inspection, it was found that the ghee tins lacked manufacturing dates, raising suspicions about their quality and freshness. This discovery has led to a wave of discontent among the temple’s servitors, who have refused to use the questionable ghee for religious purposes.
Nityananda Bhandar Sahayak, a temple official, stated, “The current stock of ghee has some bad odour. We have brought it to the notice of authorities and got it exchanged. We do not know whether there is some adulteration in the ghee stock or not”. The temple administration has been using OMFED ghee for the past seven years, with monthly supplies amounting to over one quintal, valued at approximately ₹1 lakh.
The Endowment Officer confirmed that a batch of ghee was found to be substandard and was subsequently replaced.
