HYDERABAD: Amid the Centre-State face-off over paddy procurement, Telangana, the second largest paddy producing State in the country, is facing a dilemma on how to dispose off over Rs 22,000 crore worth paddy.
With the Food Corporation of India (FCI) not giving any clarity till date on whether or not it will procure Rabi paddy from the State, uncertainty prevails over the issue and around 93 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy is lying at rice mills, while sizeable stock is being sprouted in the gunny bags. If the FCI refuses to lift the custom milled rice (CMR), the State will have to suffer another unplanned financial burden.
On Friday, the Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar held a high-level meeting with the officials and rice millers to chalk out a strategy over the stalemate and send it to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for approval.During the meeting, the officials and millers contemplated on optimal disposal of paddy and rice on war footing.
From the government side, the Civil Supplies Department proposed that 7 LMT of rice would be taken for use by the State, be it for supplying to PDS beneficiaries or for State-run hostels. The other proposal was to sell 15 LMT for prospective buyers from other States or local rice millers through auction and to permit them to sell these foodgrains in the open market.
The Civil Supplies Minister has assured the millers that the proposals will be sent to the Chief Minister for approval. However, the rice millers insisted that the Minister arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister to pour out their grievances.
Speaking to Express, Vaddi Mohan Reddy, the general secretary of the Rice Millers Association said that the Minister has assured to protect the rice mill industry in the State in the interest of the people. “The government agency and us have set a target to dispose off at least 75 per cent of the paddy before the next season’s stock arrives in November,” he said.
According to a statement from the Rice Millers Association, the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation has supplied 92.33 LMT during Rabi 2020-21, 70.22 LMT during Kharif 2021-2022, and 49.35 LMT during Rabi 2021-2022. Out of these, the rice millers still have 5.41 LMT, 38.17, and 49.35 LMT laying with them. During the previous Yasangi season, the State Civil Supplies Department collected 50.67 lakh metric tonnes of paddy worth `9,724 crore from 9.52 lakh farmers.
Bandi urges Centre to resume rice collection
BJP State president Bandi Sanjay on Friday called on Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, requesting him to resume collection of custom milled rice from the millers. The Union Minister has positively responded to Karimnagar MP’s request. Sanjay also had a two-hour discussion with Food and Public Distribution secretary Sudhanshu, who in turn informed the former that the collection of rice was stopped due to the State government’s failure to initiate action against erring rice millers. Sanjay has submitted a written representation of the Rice Millers Association to the Union Minister.