NewKerala.com

Telangana Seeks Centre's Nod to Procure Extra 18 Lakh Tonnes of Paddy

The Telangana government has urged the Union government to direct the Food Corporation of India to procure an additional 18 lakh tonnes of paddy from the state's recent Kharif season. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also requested the release of pending dues amounting to over ₹1,468 crore for rice supplied nearly a decade ago. Further financial requests include ₹343 crore for supplies under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The meeting also covered requests for milling allowances and deadline extensions for the current agricultural season.

Key Points: Telangana Urges Centre to Procure Additional 18 Lakh Tonnes Paddy

  • Request for 18L tonnes extra paddy procurement
  • Seek dues of ₹1,468 cr from 2014-15
  • Ask for ₹343 cr under PMGKAY
  • Extension for CMR submission
2 min read

Telangana urges Centre to procure additional 18 lakh tonnes paddy

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy requests FCI to procure extra paddy, seeks release of pending dues exceeding ₹1,800 crore from the Centre.

"The State requested that FCI procure this additional quantity with 10 percent broken rice tolerance. - Official Statement"

Hyderabad, Feb 12

The government of Telangana has urged the Centre to procure additional 18 lakh tonnes of paddy from the state.

The request was made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy during the meeting with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Chief Minister and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy made several key requests concerning paddy procurement and pending dues.

The Union Minister was to direct the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure an additional 18 lakh tonnes of paddy collected by the State during the 2025-26 Kharif (Vanakalam) season.

The Chief Minister stated that while approval was granted for procurement of 53.73 lakh tonnes, the State procured an additional 18 lakh tonnes due to higher-than-expected production. The State requested that FCI procure this additional quantity with 10 percent broken rice tolerance.

For the 2024-25 Rabi (Yasangi) season, the Chief Minister requested permission for milling an additional 10 lakh tonnes of boiled rice with 5 per cent broken rice allowance. The Chief Minister also sought a two-month extension beyond February 28 for the submission of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) pertaining to the 2024-25 Kharif season.

The Chief Minister also requested the immediate release of pending dues amounting to Rs 1,468.94 crore owed to Telangana for rice supplied to FCI during the 2014-15 Kharif season. He informed the Union Minister that the State Government had borne the burden of additional levy procurement at that time by availing loans, and that the accumulated interest has now exceeded ₹2,000 crore.

Additionally, the Chief Minister sought the release of Rs 343.27 crore pending towards rice supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) from May 2021 to March 2022, and for supplies made in April 2022.

Members of Parliament Dr. Mallu Ravi and Suresh Shetkar, Additional Director of the State Civil Supplies Department Rohit Singh, and Coordinator for Central Government Schemes Dr. Gaurav Uppal were also present during the meeting.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see the state fighting for its farmers. But the pending dues since 2014-15? That's over 10 years! ₹1,468 crore plus interest is a huge amount for any state to carry. The Centre must clear these old dues immediately. It's not fair to make states bear the cost of central schemes.
R
Rohit P
As someone from a farming family in Telangana, I can say this procurement is crucial. When yield is good, the government must buy. Otherwise, middlemen exploit the situation and prices crash. Hope the Union Minister listens.
A
Aman W
While I support helping farmers, there needs to be a more efficient system. Why is there always a last-minute request for extensions and additional procurement? Can't the estimates be more accurate? This ad-hoc approach creates problems for FCI's storage and logistics too.
K
Kavya N
The PMGKAY dues must be released. It was a central scheme for the poor during the pandemic. If the state supplied the rice, it should be paid without delay. This is basic governance.
D
David E
Interesting to see the coordination (or lack thereof) between state and centre on food procurement. A surplus is a good problem to have, but it needs proper management. Hope they find a solution that benefits both the farmers and the national food reserve.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50