Yasangi Paddy Procurement Crosses 50 Lakh MTs In Telangana: Uttam Kumar Reddy

·         Minister Uttam reviews procurement progress in video conference with District Collectors

·         Uttam Kumar Reddy assures purchase of rain-soaked paddy

Hyderabad: The Congress government in Telangana, doing procurement at an unprecedented pace, has achieved a record by procuring over 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in the ongoing Rabi (Yasangi) season as of May 15, 2025 – double the quantity procured during the same period under the previous BRS regime. This was announced by Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy during a high-level video conference with District Collectors and senior officials held at Dr B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat on Friday.

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Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar joined the video conference online, while Chief Secretary A. Ramakrishna Rao and Civil Supplies Principal Secretary D.S. Chauhan were present at the Secretariat along with the Civil Supplies Minister.

 Addressing the meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that in the Rabi 2022–23 season, paddy procurement stood at 25.35 LMT, which increased to 32.93 LMT in Rabi 2023–24. This year, in the ongoing Rabi 2024–25 season, procurement has reached 49.53 LMT by mid-May, a historic high and a clear reflection of the Congress government’s commitment to farmers.

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He said this achievement was made possible by efficient coordination between departments, proactive planning and a farmer-centric approach. This season’s procurement follows record paddy cultivation across 60.14 lakh acres during the Yasangi season, with an estimated output of 129.35 LMT. Against this backdrop, the government had set a procurement target of 70.13 LMT, of which more than 71 per cent has already been achieved by mid-May.

To accommodate the surge in production and ensure smooth procurement, the government significantly ramped up its infrastructure. A record 8,348 Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) were established this season, which is 1,311 more than in the previous Rabi season. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the expansion of procurement operations was done to ensure that no farmer is made to wait or suffer during the sale of their produce.

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The Minister reiterated that the government would also procure moisture-laden paddy affected by unseasonal rains. He assured farmers that even if their crops have been soaked by recent unseasonal rains, the government will procure the damaged paddy to prevent distress sales. He directed District Collectors to maintain strict ground-level monitoring and immediately identify and address any logistical or administrative gaps. With procurement expected to peak in the next 10 to 12 days, officials were asked to remain on high alert to facilitate uninterrupted operations.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also warned against the spread of misinformation regarding the procurement process. He stated that there was a deliberate attempt to malign the system and mislead farmers. He instructed District Collectors to actively counter such false narratives and instil confidence among the farming community.

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During the review, comparative data were presented to underscore the scale of improvement over the previous years. The Congress government has not only doubled procurement volumes compared to this time last year but has also surpassed earlier benchmarks in terms of cultivated area and the pace of lifting the harvested grain. In Rabi 2022–23, lower procurement levels and inadequate infrastructure had caused operational delays and dissatisfaction among farmers. This year, early planning, increased logistics, and coordination across departments helped overcome previous bottlenecks, including poor transport availability, low rice mill participation, and storage issues.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the success of this season’s procurement is not just about numbers, but also reflects a shift in governance – one focused on speed, scale, and sensitivity. He called on officials to sustain the momentum until the end of the season and ensure that every eligible farmer receives timely support. He emphasised that the Congress government stands by the farmer at every stage -from sowing to sale -and that this record procurement is just the beginning.

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The Minister also reviewed the advance lifting and distribution of National Food Security Act (NFSA) foodgrains for the upcoming quarter of June to August 2025. In view of logistical challenges and the onset of the monsoon, the State has requested the Central Government to extend the deadline for lifting foodgrain stocks until June 30.

Officials informed the Minister that an urgent verification drive has been launched to examine 96,240 ration cards flagged by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Government of India. These flagged cards account for 1,62,777 suspected beneficiaries, identified through a national database analysis aimed at removing ineligible or duplicate entries from the Public Distribution System (PDS). As per the data presented, the flagged entries include silent ration cards that have been inactive for over six months, duplicate beneficiaries registered in other states, age anomalies such as individuals above 100 years or minors under 18 listed as single-member households, and Aadhaar entries including invalid or deceased individuals.

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Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the District Collectors to treat this verification exercise as a top priority and to complete it within a defined timeframe. He said the objective was to ensure that every ration card issued is valid and that food security benefits reach only deserving individuals. Telangana currently has more than 90 lakh active ration cards, covering around 2.82 crore beneficiaries under the NFSA. While the flagged cards represent just over one percent of the total, the number of people involved is substantial enough to affect the system’s accuracy and integrity if not addressed in time.

The Minister asked officials to carry out physical verification wherever necessary and to take swift action to deactivate any fraudulent or ineligible cards. He also assured that no genuine beneficiary would be excluded from the system and that the entire verification process would be carried out in a transparent and accountable manner. (Maxim News)

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