Telangana govt to distribute fine-grain rice to ration card holders from Jan: Uttam

State government is expected to procure about 91 lakh tonnes paddy this kharif season, comprising 47 lakh tonnes of fine-grade rice and 44 lakh tonnes of other types.

Hyderabad: State civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Tuesday, November 5, that starting from January 2025, fine rice will be distributed to all ration card holders across Telangana.

Addressing a video conference with ministers, MLAs, MLCs and officials, Uttam Kumar Reddy predicted a production of 150 lakh metric tonne paddy this Kharif season.

He said the state government is expected to procure about 91 lakh tonnes comprising 47 lakh tonnes of fine-grade rice and 44 lakh tonnes of other types. An allocation of Rs 30,000 crore has been set aside, with Rs 20,000 crore already released for immediate procurement.

“The Rs 500 per quintal bonus on fine paddy is a historic initiative. All fine paddy cultivators will receive this bonus in addition to the MSP,” he stated.

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A total of 7,572 paddy procurement centres (PPC) have been opened across Telangana’s 32 districts. About 3,309 millers are involved in the process with a daily output target of 60,246 million tonnes (MT) of rice. Over 10.15 lakh farmers are expected to benefit during the Kharif 2024-25 season.

In anticipation of natural disruptions, such as unseasonal rains, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed principal secretary and civil supplies commissioner DS Chauhan to ensure prompt readiness among officials to address obstacles. “Delays or negligence will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he warned.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also called on rice millers to support the government’s efforts reaffirming the administration’s commitment to back the milling industry.

He stated that sannalu, a variety of paddy, being sensitive to moisture could suffer discolouration or increased broken grains; thus, procurement centres have been equipped with dryers and cleaners to maintain quality.

Public representatives were encouraged to coordinate closely with the district collectors to establish procurement centres as needed. He assured that the government would cover costs associated with additional centres.

He said PPCs have been set up to ensure accurate classification between fine and coarse paddy with agriculture officers certifying produce according to established regulations. He urged the officials involved to ensure that the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms laid out by the Centre should be followed during the procurement process.

The minister also called for vigilance to prevent rice from other states from entering Telangana which would harm local farmers.

DS Chauhan said that Telangana rice was in high demand in states like Bihar and West Bengal. In addition to this, two to three countries have expressed their interest in purchasing Telangana rice on a government-to-government export basis, with one country resuming business with Telangana after a decade.

He said the civil supplies department has shown a marked improvement in the past 10 months and has managed to reduce its loan burden by Rs 11,537.40 crore.