Tirupati Laddu caused ?140 cr annual loss for last 3 years
The Tirupati Laddu caused an annual loss of over ?140 crore to the temple administration of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for the last three years. The loss was owed to its subsidised price and free distribution to devotees, according to reports. The laddu is being sold at a price of ?25 per piece while its actual cost was ?32.50, reports said.
Tirupati, Feb 19 (PTI) The most sought-after Tirupati Laddu has caused an annual loss of over Rs 140 crore to the cash-rich administration of Lord Venkateswara hill shrine for the last three years owing to its subsidised price and free distribution to some devotees, temple sources said. The mouth-watering sweet dish has been sold by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per piece for the last 11 years while the actual cost was about Rs 32.50, the sources said. The laddu, made at the massive kitchen close to the shrine at nearby Tirumala, is in great demand among devotees, who throng the shrine from different parts of the country throughout the year. In 2016, about ten crore pieces of laddu (ball-shaped sweet) were made and sold, they told PTI. Besides the burden caused by subsidy, TTD also incurs more loss selling the laddu at Rs 10 per piece to devotees who opt for free darshan and wait for several hours in long queues, resulting in a loss of about Rs 23 crore, the sources said. The introduction of one free laddu to each devotee who treks 11-kilometre long stairway leading to the temple from the foot of the hills also adds about Rs 22.7 crore to the annual loss. The scheme was introduced in October 2013 with an aim to encourage the age-old traditional way of reaching the sacred hills on foot. Since then, on an average about 70 lakh devotees visit the temple by climbing the hills on foot annually, they said. More than 70 lakh devotees who avail Rs 300 special entry darshan and Rs 500 VIP darshan tickets were also getting two laddus free. However, the sources said the TTD was not keen on increasing the price of the laddu to offset the losses and might consider cutting down the number of free laddus given to ticket holders. 