12 Andhra bank staffers arrested in laddu scam

TIRUMALA: Tirumala police arrested 12 Andhra Bank contract staffers on the charges of resorting to malpractice and cheating, in the sale and distribution of laddus (Sri Vari prasadam) to pilgrims.Andhra Bank, which has signed a contract with the TTD for sale and distribution of laddus, had hired 40 contract workers from an agency for utilising their services in the bank-run laddu sale and distribution counters.Due to the lack of proper supervision, the contract workers began  practicing several irregularities and making money by selling laddu tokens at higher prices. They used prepare additional laddus by taking small pieces from the laddus meant for sale and sell them to pilgrims.A tray consists of 52 laddus. But, the staff, showing their handiwork used to prepare at least five to eight additional laddus after removing pieces from the laddus in a single tray.They sold subsidised laddu tokens at Rs 20 against the actual cost of Rs 10. Such malpractice has been practised for a long time by the hired workers, with the alleged connivance of TTD vigilance staff.After coming to know of these irregularities, Tirumala police raided the laddu token and distribution counters on Sunday and found excess amounts of Rs 18,000 in the counters and arrested 12 contract staffers. This is the third major arrest taking place on Tirumala, in recent times. Four more workers, who were involved in the malpractice are still at large.Taking advantage of the heavy pilgrim influx to the shrine on Sunday, the staffers were said to have been engaged in the irregularities.