Recover pending dues from rice millers: CM Revanth

metro india news  I hyderabad

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to recover the full amount owed by rice millers towards the value of paddy supplied to them. He warned that the government would adopt a supportive approach towards millers who operate their businesses responsibly, but would take strict action against those who deliberately attempt to evade payments. The Chief Minister held a review meeting on the Civil Supplies Department at the MCRHRD Institute in Hyderabad on Wednesday along with Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.

During the meeting, Revanth Reddy criticized the previous government for allowing thousands of crores of rupees in dues to accumulate and then attempting to shift the responsibility for the issue onto the present government. He said there had already been some progress in recovering the outstanding amounts, but stressed that every rupee due for each grain of paddy must be collected. He instructed officials to formulate clear guidelines for the recovery of dues and submit the report to the Cabinet Sub-Committee after completing the exercise.

Milling responsibility for women’s groups

Revanth Reddy said paddy allocated to millers who have become persistent defaulters would instead be assigned to women’s self-help groups, which would be entrusted with milling operations. He ordered that silo-bag storage facilities be taken up on a pilot basis in Nalgonda, Suryapet, Nizamabad, Peddapalli and Kamareddy districts, where large quantities of paddy are procured. He said 50 to 100 acres of land would be allocated per Assembly constituency for the construction of silo-bag facilities under the supervision of self-help groups.

The Chief Minister further directed officials to explore the possibility of constructing large platforms at suitable locations and storing paddy using German tents. He also suggested identifying private warehouses at mandal and village levels, as well as function halls, old theatres and other sheds that could be used for paddy storage, and leasing them in advance. Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary V. Seshadri, Civil Supplies Corporation Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, South India Rice Millers Association President Thoodi Devender Reddy and other officials attended the review meeting.