BJP Seeks Probe into Alleged Rs 500-Cr Paddy Procurement Irregularities in Telangana
Hyderabad, Aug. 6 (TNT): Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Thursday alleged large-scale irregularities in paddy procurement and demanded an immediate probe into the alleged diversion of government-procured paddy worth ₹500 crore, involving nearly 90,000 metric tonnes of stocks.
In a letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Rao urged the government to accord the matter the highest priority and take all necessary steps to ensure transparency, fix accountability and protect the interests of Telangana’s farmers.
Stating that the paddy procurement system is a crucial safeguard for farmers’ livelihoods and an essential component of the public distribution system, Rao said any diversion or misuse of government stocks would not only cause heavy losses to the public exchequer but also erode farmers’ confidence in the procurement mechanism.
Referring to media reports, the BJP leader said the alleged scale of the irregularities had caused serious concern among farmers and the general public.
He alleged that thousands of tonnes of paddy entrusted to rice mills for custom milling were neither available in stock nor returned to the government in the form of rice, resulting in substantial losses to the state exchequer.
Rao urged the Chief Minister to ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, transparent and time-bound manner.
He also demanded strict action against all those found responsible, irrespective of their position or influence, in accordance with the law.
The BJP state chief further called on the government to strengthen safeguards and accountability mechanisms at every stage of the procurement process, including procurement, transportation, storage and custom milling, to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
TNT TS
