Hyderabad: The Telangana government is closely monitoring the smuggling of paddy from Andhra Pradesh. Traders from neighboring states are reportedly trying to bring fine varieties of paddy into Telangana to take advantage of the Rs 500 bonus per quintal, announced by the government for this season.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed the police to prevent paddy smuggling at border check-posts. He also instructed officials to take strict action against anyone harassing farmers or cheating them by claiming issues such as moisture content in the paddy. The CM emphasized that district Collectors must address any complaints from farmers and ensure they are not exploited.
In a video conference about paddy procurement, the CM, along with Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, gave clear instructions. Since this is the first time farmers are receiving bonuses, the CM held Collectors responsible and urged them to ensure the correct distribution of the bonuses. Revanth Reddy also requested officials to set up special machines at procurement centers to handle fine varieties of paddy.
The CM instructed Collectors to monitor the procurement process daily. They were told to visit the centers every morning and check the arrangements in person. Special officers have been assigned to the 10 original districts of Telangana to oversee the procurement process and solve any issues on a daily basis. Additionally, the Civil Supplies department has set up a 24/7 call center to address problems.
The government expects to procure 91 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from this season’s total production of 146 lakh metric tonnes. Of this, 44 lakh metric tonnes are coarse paddy, and 47 lakh metric tonnes are fine varieties. The CM also reminded Collectors to follow the rules and only allocate the procured paddy to rice millers who have not defaulted in the past.
