Opposition Creating Unnecessary Hype Over Paddy Procurement: Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy!

N. Uttam Kumar Reddy strongly criticized the opposition parties for what he described as a “misinformation campaign” over paddy procurement in Telangana. Addressing the media, the minister alleged that opposition leaders, particularly the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, were trying to create confusion among farmers with false propaganda. He stated that Telangana has achieved record paddy production and procurement under the Congress government. According to the minister, paddy cultivation was carried out in 67 lakh acres during the current Rabi season, with an estimated yield of 141 lakh metric tonnes. The government has set a target to procure 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and has already procured 17.28 lakh metric tonnes, paying ₹2,310 crore to farmers so far. He also said the state allocated ₹21,000 crore for paddy procurement this Rabi season.

The minister highlighted several measures taken by the government to strengthen procurement infrastructure across the state. A total of 8,575 procurement centers have been established with improved facilities, including drinking water, ORS packets, tarpaulins, gunny bags, storage facilities, transport vehicles, and dedicated control rooms. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government introduced better systems to ensure farmers do not face inconvenience at procurement centers, including token systems and continuous monitoring by nodal officers. He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone making illegal deductions in the name of moisture or weight loss. The minister further claimed that paddy procurement, payments, and procurement center expansion have all witnessed record growth after the Congress government came to power, while accusing the BRS of failing to learn lessons despite repeated electoral defeats.