The TTD is toying with the idea of fixing a uniform price for its famed laddu to compensate for the huge loss — estimated to be ₹200 crore per annum — arising out of its sales.
At present, the TTD is reportedly incurring a loss of over ₹200 crore in the manufacturing and sale of its laddus every year.
Even though the steep increase in the prices of ingredients used in the making of laddus is said to be the main reason behind the mounting losses, the indiscriminate subsidy and disparity in the selling prices are also contributing factors.
The manufacturing cost of each laddu is estimated to be around ₹39 but it is sold to devotees at varying prices.
While the devotees attending various ‘Arjitha Sevas’ and ₹300 special entry darshan tickets are provided two laddus free of cost, pilgrims opting for Dharma Darshan are provided with four laddus at ₹70 (two laddus at ₹25 each and two laddus at a subsidized price of ₹10 each in contrast to five laddus to those reaching on foot for the same price.
This apart. the TTD also provides ten laddus each to all its employees every month at a throwaway price of ₹5 each and at ₹10 each to its retired employees.
According to estimates, the TTD manufactures about 12 crore laddus every year out of which nearly two-thirds are sold for a subsidised price.
After experimenting with several options, the TTD increased the price of additional laddus to ₹50 each to recoup the mounting losses. However, the move did not fetch encouraging results.
Keen on cutting back on its losses, the TTD is now considering to introduce uniform pricing in the sale of its laddus, a move which it expects would ease the financial stress.
The TTD is also mulling to shift the counter selling big laddus inside the temple to its outer precincts and also enhance its price.
While the shifting will pave way for creation of more space inside the temple, the enhancement in its price to ₹400 from the present ₹200 will enable the TTD to reduce its loss in the sale of laddus to some extent. The big laddus are generally provided only on recommendation. Making them available in the open market will also save the pilgrims from the ordeals of running after the senior officials, feels the management.
