Telangana Government Cracks Down on Rice Price Manipulation!

The Telangana Civil Supplies Department has announced strict maximum retail prices (MRPs) for popular rice varieties to prevent artificial scarcity, overpricing and consumer exploitation. Acting on the directions of Civil Supplies Commissioner and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary Sri M. Stephen Raveendra, IPS, the department has launched a statewide enforcement drive in coordination with the Enforcement Task Force (ETF) and the Legal Metrology Department. Under the new price limits, BPT/KNM rice must not cost more than Rs. 66 per kg, RNR/Telangana Sona is capped at Rs. 74 per kg, and HMT/JSR is limited to Rs. 79 per kg. Millers and traders have also been instructed to prominently print the prescribed prices on all 26-kg packaged rice bags.

During the week-long drive conducted from October 29 to November 5, 2026, ETF teams carried out 1,141 surprise inspections at rice mills, wholesale shops and retail outlets. The inspections resulted in 55 cases, including 35 criminal cases, against violators. The Legal Metrology Department conducted another 1,545 inspections and registered 280 cases. Officials reportedly detected several irregularities, including selling 25 kg of rice in bags labelled as 26 kg, covering original manufacturer prices with higher price stickers, hoarding Public Distribution System (PDS) rice and operating without GST or FSSAI licences. The department has warned that repeat offenders involved in PDS rice hoarding and price manipulation may face action under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, the Essential Commodities Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Officials have stated that inspections and surveillance will continue across Telangana to protect consumers from unfair trade practices.