Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has dismissed reports of a spike in cattle deaths at Sri Venkateswara dairy farm in Tirupati. Maintaining that the average death toll of cattle at the dairy farm remains more or less the same when compared to yesteryears, TTD executive officer J Syamala Rao said about 15 cattle deaths on average happen every month at the SV dairy farm and postmortem is conducted in cases of unnatural cattle deaths.
“Last year about 179 cattle deaths were reported at the dairy farm, while about 43 cattle deaths have been reported in the first three months of 2025. The most common reasons for the deaths include certain non-curable diseases and age related issues. Significant to note here is the fact that the birth rate at the dairy farm is on a slightly higher side with 59 calves born in the first three months of 2025,” he said.
Dismissing the allegations by former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, Syamala Rao underlined that numerous vigilance reports pertaining to years 2021 to 2024 have brought to light serious issues of irregularities, neglect, and corruption at the SV dairy farm which coincides with Bhumana’s and others’ tenure as TTD chiefs in the last five years. “The violations at the dairy farm highlighted by the vigilance reports include serving of maggot-infested fodder and discarded maize silage being served to the cattle, use of expired drugs and unhygienic conditions prevailing in the cattle sheds. Purchase of grass and fodder at higher prices which caused a financial loss of Rs 1 crore to the TTD was exposed by a vigilance enquiry in 2021 itself,” he stated.
Accusing the previous TTD dispensation of not acting on the irregularities exposed by the vigilance dept at the dairy farm, Syamala Rao said the former TTD chief is now trying to resort to the unethical propaganda of spreading lies over cattle deaths. “While they did absolutely nothing to set things right at the goshala, the new TTD administration has streamlined the systems of fodder procurement, improved sanitation standards at the dairy, and most importantly, filled up the vacancies at the dairy farm. While nine posts of veterinary doctors has been sanctioned, four vacancies exist. We have initiated the process of filling up all vacancies across all cadres,” he added.
Slamming the opposition for trying to mislead devotees and common public with the help of morphed pictures and videos, Syamala Rao said the TTD trust board will soon take a decision with regards to initiating criminal proceedings against those involved in this malicious campaign.
