Telangana Deploys Greyhounds, OCTOPUS Personnel to Crack Down on Defaulting Rice Millers

The Telangana State Civil Supplies Department on Friday inducted around 28 highly trained police personnel from the elite Greyhounds and OCTOPUS units into its Enforcement and Vigilance wing to crack down on defaulting rice millers.

Commissioner of Civil Supplies M. Stephen Raveendra chaired a high-level briefing at Civil Supplies Bhavan in Hyderabad to formally welcome the newly inducted commanders and outline their operational mandate.

To prepare for enforcement duties within the public distribution sector, the personnel completed a specialized three-day training program at the Telangana Police Academy covering legal aspects related to essential commodities.

During the briefing, Raveendra highlighted that the state achieved historic paddy procurement targets during the KMS 2025-2026 season, procuring 154 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of paddy. The state government spent around Rs 40,000 crore during the last procurement cycle to support the farming community.

Leveraging their background in tactical operations and surprise inspections, the deputed personnel will operate as special task teams under the Enforcement and Vigilance wing. They are scheduled for immediate deployment across the state to conduct intensive field inspections targeting defaulting rice millers.

The Commissioner stated that the department will maintain a zero-tolerance policy against misappropriation or operational defaults, warning that authorities will immediately register criminal cases and take stringent legal action against any miller violating government regulations.