Kishan Reddy Seeks Central Intervention Over Telangana Paddy Procurement Lapses

In Hyderabad, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy led a delegation of BJP leaders on Wednesday to meet with Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi, submitting a memorandum to seek Central intervention over the Telangana government’s alleged failure in timely paddy procurement.

The delegation, which comprised BJP MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from Telangana, raised concerns over the mounting distress faced by local farmers. Kishan Reddy accused the state government of failing to safeguard farmers' interests and ensure a smooth procurement process. He alleged that administrative lapses had triggered widespread panic and forced farmers to resort to protests.

According to Kishan Reddy, the state government only responded to the situation after BJP public representatives launched an agitation. He emphasized that under the established guidelines, the responsibility for procuring paddy, milling it, and delivering the final rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) lies entirely with the state government, while the Central government reimburses the expenditure incurred.

The memorandum highlighted critical infrastructure shortages in Telangana's procurement network. Reddy alleged that the state lacks adequate facilities, pointing specifically to a shortage of gunny bags, insufficient warehousing space, and the absence of an efficient rice milling network.

These deficiencies have reportedly slowed down the supply chain significantly. The delegation claimed that against the target of supplying 36 lakh metric tonnes of rice to the FCI for the 2024-25 kharif procurement season, the Telangana government has completed less than 13 per cent of the deliveries so far.

Additionally, the memorandum stated that rice delivery targets for the 2024-25 rabi season remain largely unmet. Significant quantities of rice from the 2025-26 kharif and rabi procurements are also yet to be supplied to the FCI, according to the BJP leaders.