Hyderabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Telangana BJP president N. Ramchandra Rao on Thursday alleged a major diversion of government-procured paddy worth Rs 500 crore and demanded a fair investigation

In a letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he demanded fair, transparent, and expeditious investigation.

He stated that alleged diversion of government-procured paddy involving transactions valued at approximately Rs 500 crore and nearly 90,000 tonnes of paddy has triggered widespread concern across Telangana.

“Various media reports have stated that thousands of tonnes of paddy entrusted to mills for custom milling were neither found in stock nor returned to the government in the form of rice, resulting in substantial losses to the state exchequer. These reports have also highlighted a widening gap, from 2023 onwards, between the quantity of paddy supplied to millers and the rice received by the government. The reported scale of these irregularities has understandably caused serious concern among farmers and the general public,” wrote Ramchander Rao.

Stating that the paddy procurement system is a crucial safeguard for the livelihoods of farmers and an essential component of the public distribution framework, the BJP leader said any diversion or misuse of government stocks not only causes significant financial loss to the public exchequer but also erodes the confidence of farmers who depend on a transparent, efficient and accountable procurement mechanism.

“In view of the seriousness of the matter, I demand that the ongoing investigation be conducted in a fair, transparent and expeditious manner, and that all those found responsible, irrespective of their position or influence, be dealt with strictly in accordance with law,” reads the letter.

“Appropriate systemic safeguards must also be instituted to strengthen oversight and accountability across the procurement, transportation, storage and custom milling processes, so as to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and restore public confidence in the system. The matter must be accorded due priority, and all necessary steps should be taken to ensure transparency, fix accountability, safeguard public funds and protect the interests of Telangana’s farmers,” he added.

--IANS

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