Telangana Govt crackdown on rice millers yields results

Hyderabad: Following Civil Supplies Commission tightening noose around the millers and setting the deadline for this month for delivering defaulted CMR (Custom Milling Rice), the department has received an overwhelming response.

The millers have sped up the delivery as the department officials registered an almost six-fold increase in the past 50 days. The delivery from millers has gone up from about 5,000 - 6,000 metric tonnes daily average to 30,000 per day average during the past 50 days. It recorded delivery of more than 56,000 metric tonneson a single day.

The department officials informed that the CMR pertains to 2022-23 (Yasangi season) and millers were supposed to deliver rice to the tune of 43.73 lakh metric tonnes. However by November 2023, only 24.50 lakh metric tonnes was received. But during the past 50-days 14.50 lakh metric tonnes were received, as there was change in the government. During the past three years, the delay has pushed the Corporation into debts, even as the millers crossed the set deadline for supply.

Following a series of review meetings with Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and appointment of D S Chouhan the department has decided to tighten the noose around the millers towards resolving the matter. The officials also informed that till two months back the department witnessed on an average 5,000 to 6,000 metric tonnes per day.

However during the past 50 days delivery per day has gone up by 30,000 metric tonnes on an average. On January 27, Civil Supplies recorded history as it received 58,843 metric tonnes of CMR.

The districts identified by the department which defaulted maximum are Wanaparthy (82,000), Nagarkurnool (42,000), Medak (40,000), Kamareddy (37,000), Nirmal (35,000) amongst others. The Commissioner has warned the millers will be forced to shell out money in case of defaulting the delivery of CMR.

The Commissioner while expressing satisfaction, felt that the Government strategy worked, and the department was making history with the coordinated efforts of all the officials.