Vigilance Raids Unearth Rs 900 Crore Paddy Shortage, Rs 700 Crore Recovered

Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) officials in Hyderabad unearthed a paddy shortage worth Rs 900 crore over the last three weeks during ongoing raids on rice millers, prompting Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to order an intensified crackdown to recover all outstanding dues.

The state government had allocated paddy to rice millers under an agreement that they would return custom-milled rice. However, several millers failed to honour their commitments. Following a strict warning from the government urging millers to clear their dues or face imprisonment, total recoveries have reached nearly Rs 700 crore.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, along with Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, held a review meeting with officials to assess the situation. During the briefing, the Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure that the value of every single grain is recovered and directed them to formulate specific recovery guidelines for submission to a cabinet sub-committee.

V&E Director-General DS Chauhan is supervising the ongoing operations. Authorities estimate that the total shortage, including paddy intended for auction and custom milling, could exceed Rs 3,000 crore across the state.

Addressing political criticism, Revanth Reddy stated that irregularities in collecting dues occurred under the previous BRS government, resulting in accumulated arrears worth thousands of crores of rupees. He noted that the current administration adopts a cooperative approach with millers operating genuinely, but will deal sternly with those attempting to evade payments.

As part of the government's future plan, paddy previously allocated to defaulting millers will now be assigned to women's groups, who will take over milling responsibilities.

To resolve recurring seasonal storage challenges, the Chief Minister directed officials to prepare an immediate action plan. A pilot project to construct silo bags or silo storage facilities will be launched in high-yield districts, including Nalgonda, Suryapet, Nizamabad, Peddapalli, and Kamareddy.

The state plans to allocate 50 to 100 acres of land per constituency for these silo bag facilities, which will be managed by women self-help groups (SHGs). A meeting involving the ministers of revenue, civil supplies, and women's welfare will be convened to discuss the infrastructure plans, including exploring German tents and spacious platforms built under the VB G Ram G scheme. Officials were also instructed to identify and lease private warehouses, function halls, old cinema theatres, and sheds at the mandal and village levels for paddy storage.