BRS alleges Rs 1,000-crore scam in Telangana paddy procurement

BRS general secretary and former Minister T Jeevan Reddy accused the Congress government of presiding over large-scale irregularities in paddy procurement. He said farmers were forced to sell their produce at lower prices, while rice millers pocketed huge gains.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, Jeevan Reddy stated that farmers lost between Rs 120 and Rs 243 per quintal during procurement and alleged that rice millers had siphoned off paddy worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore. 

He demanded an immediate inquiry, stating that official weighbridge records would expose



the alleged exploitation. He warned that failure to order a probe would raise suspicions about official complicity in the irregularities.

The BRS leader also criticised the government’s new policy restricting paddy cultivation to only seven varieties, alleging that farmers were being forced to cultivate them under the threat of losing the bonus.

He said the move appeared aimed at reducing the government’s procurement burden and demanded assurances that all paddy varieties would be purchased. He cautioned that all seven varieties faced the threat of severe pest attacks and lower yields.