Revanth Reddy Orders Crackdown On Defaulting Telangana Rice Millers

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy ordered a crackdown on rice millers who defaulted on Custom Milled Rice (CMR) obligations during a review meeting at MCRHRDI in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The Chief Minister directed officials to intensify efforts to recover the entire amount due from defaulters and to frame specific guidelines for the recovery process.

Revanth Reddy stated that the government would adopt a cooperative approach towards millers conducting genuine business, but warned that deliberate evaders would be dealt with sternly. He instructed officials to ensure the recovery of the value of every single grain, adding that guidelines for recovery will be submitted to a Cabinet sub-committee for examination.

The Chief Minister announced that paddy previously allotted to defaulting millers will now be reallocated to women's self-help groups, which will be entrusted with milling operations.

During the meeting, Revanth Reddy accused the previous BRS government of irregularities in recovering dues, which he said led to accumulated arrears running into thousands of crores of rupees. He also criticised opposition parties for blaming the current government for attempting to recover the unpaid dues.

Addressing recurring paddy storage issues during procurement seasons, the Chief Minister directed officials to prepare an immediate action plan to expand storage capacity. A pilot project for setting up silo bag storage facilities will be launched in high paddy-producing districts, including Nalgonda, Suryapet, Nizamabad, Peddapalli, and Kamareddy.

Under this plan, 50 to 100 acres of land will be allotted in each Assembly constituency for silo bag facilities, which will be managed by women's self-help groups. A meeting with the ministers for revenue, civil supplies, and women's welfare will be convened to discuss the construction and management of these facilities.

Officials were also asked to explore constructing paddy drying platforms under the VB-G RAM G scheme and using German tents for temporary storage. The government directed officials to identify and lease private warehouses, function halls, old cinema theatres, and suitable sheds at mandal and village levels in advance.

The review meeting was attended by Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, CMO Principal Secretary V. Seshadri, Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, and South India Rice Millers Association President Thudi Devender Reddy.