Senior YSR Congress Party leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who has been frequently targeting the present TTD administration, made yet another sensational allegation on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Bhumana alleged that there was a major scam behind the TTD’s recent decision to relax bidding qualifications for the supply of medicines and medical equipment to hospitals run by the temple body.

He claimed that the move could lead to corruption and compromise the quality of medicines and medical equipment.

Bhumana said the TTD Trust Board had decided to reduce the minimum turnover requirement for eligible bidding companies from ₹100 crore to ₹25 crore. In certain categories, the requirement had reportedly been lowered further to ₹15 crore.

He alleged that the decision was taken at the behest of State IT Minister Nara Lokesh, despite objections raised by a board member associated with a reputed pharmaceutical company.

According to Bhumana, relaxing the norms could affect the quality of medicines and medical equipment. He alleged that the decision was intended to facilitate kickbacks and claimed that even life-saving drugs and high-value medical equipment would be procured under the diluted eligibility criteria.

He further alleged that the decision was based on the recommendations of a committee headed by Dr Jagadish and questioned the committee’s role in the process.

Bhumana said that setting aside the norms followed by AIIMS and other premier medical institutions, while allowing companies with significantly lower turnover to participate, raised serious concerns about the intention behind the decision.

He also dismissed the argument that the relaxation was meant to encourage wider participation in the tender process.

Demanding an independent inquiry, Bhumana warned that any compromise in procurement standards could ultimately put patients’ lives at risk.