Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy counters BJP

Hails Telangana's Record Paddy Procurement

metro india news  I hyderabad

Strongly rejecting criticism from BJP leaders over paddy procurement, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday asserted that Telangana was conducting the largest paddy procurement exercise in the country and had already achieved record procurement levels during the ongoing Rabi season. Reviewing procurement operations in Mahabubnagar district on Saturday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had procured more than 62 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy so far, substantially higher than Andhra Pradesh's 23 LMT and Tamil Nadu's 11.48 LMT. He said that once procurement is completed, Telangana is expected to contribute nearly 75 per cent of the country's total paddy procurement, making it the leading state in procurement operations.

Dismissing opposition allegations of underperformance, the Minister said the State Government had undertaken unprecedented efforts to protect farmers and ensure smooth procurement despite weather related challenges. He directed officials to expedite transportation of paddy from procurement centres and warned against delays in lifting stocks, particularly in view of continuing evening rains.

Launching a sharp attack on the Centre, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Telangana was being discriminated against in paddy procurement. He pointed out that the Union Government procures 67 per cent of paddy production in Chhattisgarh, 65 per cent in Haryana and 51 per cent in Odisha, while procuring only 38 per cent of Telangana's paddy production.

The Minister said the Telangana Government had stepped in to bridge the gap and support farmers. Over the last two years, the State had borne an additional financial burden of Rs 16,479 crore beyond MSP related procurement support to ensure farmers did not suffer losses.

Highlighting the government's farmer friendly approach, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had emerged as a national benchmark in prompt payments to farmers. He stated that paddy procurement payments were being credited directly into farmers' bank accounts within 48 to 72 hours, a turnaround unmatched by any other state.

According to the Minister, the Congress Government paid Rs 36,146 crore to paddy farmers during the 2024-25 Kharif and Rabi seasons. In the ongoing 2025-26 season, payments have already touched Rs 39,359 crore, setting a new national record.

Reiterating the government's commitment to farmers, Uttam Kumar Reddy said even rain soaked paddy was being procured at MSP. So far, 10,200 metric tonnes of wet paddy had been purchased and shifted to boiled rice mills. He praised district collectors, police officials, civil supplies staff and public representatives for ensuring procurement operations continued smoothly despite adverse weather conditions and said the remaining stocks would be cleared on priority.