The Union Ministry of Food, Consumer Affairs, and Public Distribution has extended the deadline for the delivery of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) for the 2023 agricultural marketing season in Telangana to December 15, 2024. This extension allows the state government to supply rice to the central pool by mid-December. However, the ministry has also directed the state government to ensure that the rice from the ongoing 2024-25 marketing season is included in the supply.

Additionally, the ministry has emphasized that the quality of rice sent to the central pool should meet the prescribed standards.

The state government has been instructed to ensure that rice from the Public Distribution System (PDS) is not recycled and passed off as CMR rice for the central pool. This means rice that has already been distributed should not be reprocessed and reused for this purpose.

The Telangana government has also been asked to verify the age of the rice to prevent any tampering. The issue of timely delivery of CMR rice in Telangana, a major contributor to the central rice pool, has faced delays, with previous deadlines being extended multiple times.

Complaints about millers' negligence in supplying rice have further complicated the situation. With the current Kharif marketing season's paddy procurement now underway, rice milling and supply to the central pool are expected to begin soon.