Telangana: Rice mill raided for defaulting on CMR dues

By Sadanandam Sirimalle

As part of the drive against the rice mill owners defaulting on CMR dues, officials carried a raid at the warehouse of defaulting rice mill in Kazipet on Thursday and seized paddy stocks.

Civil Supplies DM Mahender, DCSO Mohammed Wajid Ali, and deputy tahsildars Badru Naik and Sadanandam conducted the raid on the premises of Rudramamba Agro Industries, which was included in the defaulters list in 2021. They conducted surprise raid at warehouses located in Rampur Industrial Area near Kazipet. During the inspection, it was found that paddy worth approximately Rs 2 crore was stored illegally without proper permissions.

Officials revealed that the mill owner, Ramesh, already had pending custom milling rice dues amounting to nearly Rs 9 crore to the government. The illegally stored stock was immediately seized and handed over to the enforcement wing for further investigation. Strict action is expected to be taken based on the findings of the inquiry. It is noteworthy that earlier notices had also been issued to the mill under the relevant revenue recovery provisions, yet irregularities continued.

Authorities made it clear that continuous inspections will be carried out to curb such illegal activities in the district.

Explaining about the details of the raid, DCSO Mohammed Wajid Ali told the Hans India that inspections were carried out at the warehouse of Rudramamba Agro Industries, which is listed among defaulters in Rampur Industrial Area. During the raid a large quantity of paddy stocks was identified and seized. Since the stock was in huge quantities, exact counting of the bags was not possible, but the value is estimated to be around Rs 2 crore.

Officials stated that the warehouse was found locked, and the ownership of the stored paddy bags will be determined through investigation. Wajid Ali said that he has been working in the district for the past four months, and if any permissions were granted earlier by previous officials, the same will be revealed during the inquiry. He clarified that government stock cannot be seized by the government itself, and the ongoing investigation will establish full facts soon.

On the directions of the Joint Collector, deputy tahsildar Badru Naik has been assigned to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report. If it is confirmed that the seized stock belongs to the mill owner who already owes Rs. 9 crore to the government, recovery of the pending dues will become easier, officials indicated.

This article has been republished from The Hans India.