Process of custom rice milling turns headache for officials in Mancherial (Telangana)
By Padala Santosh
The process of custom rice milling (CMR) has become a tough task for Civil Supplies officials, mainly due to the lethargy of some rice millers in the district in returning the grains to the government on time.
According to officials, 1.39 lakh metric tonnes of paddy grains from the Vanakalam season were given to 53 millers in 2023. Barely 8,294 metric tonnes of the rice grains were delivered as against the target of 93,575 metric tonnes of rice so far. Show-cause notices were served against 19 mills that did not return the grains a few days ago.
Some of the millers did not return the rice grains citing reasons including shortage of labourers. They continue to fail in meeting deadlines set by the government even as the district authorities conduct review meetings and instruct them to expedite the process at regular intervals.
These millers allegedly return sub-standard quality grains, which are rejected by officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). It is learnt that they mill the paddy produce soon after the produce is received in a season. They allegedly sell the rice grains to traders and gain huge profits, officials said. Lack of machines to sort fine rice is also attributed to the delay in returning the processed rice.
Criminal cases to be booked
Vexed at the sluggish process of the rice milling, officials are now mulling to take serious action against rice mills that show negligence in the process of CMR. “Criminal cases will be booked against those mills who fail to return the rice grains for quite a long time,” an official said.
It is learnt that criminal cases were already booked against errant mills in Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal districts recently.
Quantum of paddy given to rice mills in 2023-Vanakalam: 1,39,664 metric tonnes
Target of CMR set for the district: 93,375 metric tonnes
Rice grains milled and returned so far: 8,294 metric tonnes
CMR yet to receive from mills: 85,281 metric tonnes
Rice mills: 53
Capacity: 1,863 metric tonnes
Mills served show-cause notice: 19
Rice mills served show-cause notice: Manjunatha Agro Industries (Indaram), BSY Raw Rice mill (Mudigunta), Raja Rajeshwara Industries (Morriguda), Matheshwari Agro Industries (Laxmipur), Samatha Agro Industries (Ankushapur), Shivasi Raghavendra Modran Rice Mill (Ponkal), Laxminarasimha Rice Mill (Kalamadugu), Eshwara Agro Rice mill (Indaram), Srilaxmi Srinivas Rice mill (NandulapallI), Vasavimatha Modern Rice mill (Rechini), Sri Raja Rajeswhara Modern Rice Mill, Shravani Industries (Laxmipur), Annapurna Agro Modern Rice mill, Bhavani Industries (Peddampet), Venkateshwara Rice mill (Mandamarri), Shivasai Industries and Traders (Indaram), Neelam Brothers Modern Rice mill, Chamundeshwari Industries (Peddampet) and Sri Venkateshwara Agro Industries.
This article has been republished from Telangana Today.