HYDERABAD
The Telangana Government has requested the Centre to enhance the target of paddy procurement (custom milled rice) for the 2025-26 Kharif season from the present 54 lakh tonnes (36 lakh tonnes of rice) to 80 LT (54 LT of rice) and also allocate additional target of parboiled rice procurement and extension of CMR delivery period for the 2024-25 Rabi and Kharif seasons, respectively.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution System Prahlad Joshi, Minister for Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said there was a need to enhance the procurement target for 2025-26 Kharif since production of paddy is estimated at 148 LT. The State Government had taken up the procurement of 80 LT of paddy for the season and procured 52 LT already.
Requesting the Union Minister to allocate an additional target for the procurement of parboiled rice for the 2024-25 Rabi season, Mr. Uttam Reddy said the Centre had allocated a 35 LT target and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had lifted (received) 17.83 LT of parboiled rice and 1.14 LT of raw rice under CMR so far. Another 1.56 LT of parboiled rice and 14.01 LT of raw rice out of the 35 LT target is yet to be lifted by the FCI.
Stating that paddy produced in the Rabi season is more suitable for conversion into parboiled rice, the Telangana Minister requested Mr. Joshi to take another 10 LT of parboiled rice for the 2024-25 Rabi season in addition to the target to facilitate the timely completion of CMR deliveries. Further, he urged the Union Minister to extend the period of CMR delivery for the 2024-25 Kharif season till January 26, 2026 from the expired date of November 12, 2025, for joint physical verification of the 3.5 LT left over paddy with millers.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the Union Minister to allot additional rakes to Telangana for expediting the movement of parboiled rice (CMR) from FCI godowns in the State since there is a shortfall of 13.5 LT due to a shortage of rakes, resulting in accumulation of stocks — particularly parboiled rice in FCI godowns.
He also requested the Union Minister to enhance the storage capacity in the State, held both by the Central and State Warehousing Corporations, from the present 65 LT to at least 80 LT under storage construction schemes of the Centre. He also sought release of ₹1,468 crore pending subsidy for excess mill levy for the 2014-15 Kharif and also the subsidy amount of ₹343 crore for 89,988 tonnes of rice distributed under PDS (PMGKAY) in 2022.
Published – December 14, 2025 06:48 pm IST
