YSR Congress Party district president and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has criticised the TTD management’s decision to relax the tender eligibility norms for suppliers of medicines and consumables to its hospitals.

Addressing the media in Tirupati on Monday, Mr. Karunakar Reddy alleged that the TTD Trust Board had diluted the eligibility criteria to favour certain suppliers and demanded that the State government order an inquiry into the matter.

He contended that the revised norms could enable non-serious players to participate in the bidding process, resulting in the supply of substandard medicines and consumables with potentially serious consequences for public health. He also objected to the revised eligibility criteria for procurement by TTD-run speciality institutions, including the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), the BIRRD orthopaedic hospital and the Sri Padmavati Children’s Heart Centre (SPCHC).

Mr. Karunakar Reddy said that suppliers were earlier required to have an annual turnover of ₹100 crore to qualify for the tenders, but the threshold had now been reduced to ₹25 crore for medicines and injections, ₹15 crore for surgical consumables and ₹10 crore for distributors and importers.

“Earlier, suppliers should have an annual turnover of ₹100 crore to qualify for the tenders, which has now been brought down to ₹25 crore for medicines and injections, ₹15 crore for surgical consumables and ₹10 crore for distributors and importers. How can the board pass this without thinking about the fallout?” he asked.

He further alleged that a Trust Board member associated with a reputed pharmaceutical company had opposed the proposal, but his objections were ignored.

Mr. Karunakar Reddy also urged the TTD to adopt the procurement norms followed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to ensure the supply of quality medicines and medical consumables to its hospitals.

Published - August 03, 2026 08:33 pm IST