Minister Uttam Reddy hit Harish Rao to refute allegations about Paddy’s procurement

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy shows that during the 2024-25 season ending May 12, the Telangana government purchased 4.31 million tons of rice fields in the ongoing Rabi 2024-25 season. Image source: Nagara Gopal

Hyderabad

Minister of Civil Materials and Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy fought back on Tuesday in former minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T. Harish Rao against the latter’s allegations against Paddy procurement and cited official statistics asking him to stop “daily false movements.”

Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said in a statement that in the current rabies season, Paddy procurement has increased dramatically. He said the government purchased 4.31 million tons of rice fields on May 12.

Data shared by the minister shows that during the ongoing 2024-25 seasons, the Telangana government purchased 4.31 million metric tons (LMTS) in Paddy, as of May 12. By the same day last year, Rabi Procuregns was 2.988 billion tons of 2.988 billion tons, and before (2022-23) (2022-23) it was 19.62 lakh tonnes lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh lakh.

The minister said statistics show that nearly 44% of purchases compared to last year’s, compared with 2022-23, reflecting the active efforts of the current government.

The minister said the Congressional government opened more procurement centers and streamlined actions to benefit farmers directly. As the government ensures the minimum support price (MSP), timely procurement has freed Paddy tillers across Telangana and has provided a 500 rupees bonus per male punch for the exquisite Paddy.

He highlighted the State’s record-breaking paddy production in 2024-25 Kharif/Vanakalam season, when 153.5 lakh tonnes of paddy was produced in 66.7 lakh acres, while the ongoing Rabi/Yasangi crop covered 60.14 lakh acres with the yield estimated to be about 129 lakh tonnes — production of over 280 lakh tonnes in a year.

Meanwhile, sources said that so far, about 61.45% of planned procurements (70.13 billion tons) have been completed by opening 8,245 procurement centers. So far, of the 4.31 million tons purchased so far, 2.775 million tons are common varieties and 1.535 million tons of exquisite varieties.

So far, the purchased rice is worth Rs 99,9936 crore and 658,000 farmers sell their agricultural products. So far, farmers have paid Rs 6,671 crore, including Rs 7,67 crore in bonuses as fines.