Peddapalli: State task force officials uncovered a significant issue during inspections at two rice mills in Sultanabad. They seized paddy from five trucks, revealing some startling facts.
One mill received 80,966 quintals of grain for the 2023-24 Yasangi season. It was supposed to return 35,000 quintals of rice to the government but only delivered 10,000 quintals. During inspections, only 3,266 quintals of grain were present, indicating a shortage of 61,653.57 quintals. The mill management sold the government-purchased paddy.
Another mill was allocated 31,060 quintals of paddy and was required to supply 21,190 quintals of rice back. It managed to provide only 5,151 quintals. When checked, the mill should have had 23,500 quintals of paddy, yet only 10,880.14 quintals were found. In total, these two mills are missing 72,533.71 quintals of paddy. This missing paddy is valued at approximately Rs 21,71,36,972.
Sources suggest that paddy shortages are widespread across almost every mill. There are suspicions about the re-allocation process, as large amounts of paddy were given to millers who didn’t convert previous allocations into rice during the Yasangi and Vanakalam seasons. Allegedly, officials colluded with millers to bypass regulations. Without the task force’s raids, local authorities might not have exposed this issue.
Reports indicate that a miller from Peddapalli district alone sold over Rs 150 crore worth of paddy. If state-level civil supply officials investigate further, they could uncover a potential scam worth Rs 1,000 crores.
