Karimnagar (Telengana): Custom Milled Rice becomes boon for millers
By Raghu Paithari
The practice of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) has become a boon for rice millers. Though CMR has to be returned to the government within the stipulated time-frame, some of the millers are delaying the supply.
Instead of returning the total quantity of CMR rice to the government, millers are holding back some quantity and making money by selling it in other States at higher price, sources in the Civil Supplies department said.
On the other hand, the rice shortfall, which develops with shifting of the rice for other purposes, has been replaced by the Re.1 a kg rice supplied to white ration card holders through fair price shops by the government.
Millers are purchasing the Re 1 rice from brokers by spending Rs.2,200 to Rs.2,400 per quintal. Brokers purchase the rice from the public at Rs.10 per kilogram, the sources added. Since it takes time to collect rice from the public, the return of CMR rice is being delayed. In the meantime, about 2.66 lakh quintals of paddy went missing in a few rice mills in Huzurabad and Jammikunta areas. This came to light during an inspection carried out by the Task Force and Enforcement officials from Hyderabad on Thursday.
A total of 5.41 lakh quintals of paddy was allocated to rice mills during the 2022-23 Vanakalam and Yasangi seasons. About 42 percent paddy (Rs 52.13 crore worth) went missing, officials said. About 53,000 quintals of paddy was allocated to a rice mill in Huzurabad and 26,000 quintals of crop was not there in the mill. In another mill, 18,000 quintals of paddy went for milling as against the 24,000 quintals earmarked for it. Not a single grain was found in another mill which was allocated 18,000 quintals. Out of 66,000 quintals earmarked, 32,000 quintals disappeared in a rice mill.
There was a shortfall of 87,000 quintals as against 1.60 lakh quintals allocated to a rice mill in Jammikunta. In Illandakunta, 85 quintals went missing as against 2.20 lakh quintals earmarked to a rice mill. Task Force and Enforcement OSD Prabhakar Rao, who led the team, said a report would be submitted to higher officials and further action would be based on instructions from above.
In June 2023, the then Peddapalli collector Sanjeeta Satyanarayana formed 19 special teams along with Tahsildars and Civil Supplies officials to inspect rice mills in the district since 2.34 lakh tons of CMR rice (Rs.750 crore worth) of the last four seasons were pending with rice millers.
Based on the Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari’s instructions, the Collector formed teams. Irregularities were found in the inspections by the teams. Similar irregularities were found in other parts of the erstwhile Karimnagar district as well.
Officials opined that lack of frequent checking by officials was the main reason for the misuse of CMR rice.
It was the responsibility of officials to check frequently how much quantity of paddy was allocated to a particular mill, milled crop and remaining paddy. However, no such checking has taken place. Taking it as an advantage, millers are misusing CMR rice.
This article has been republished from The Telengana Today.