Telangana government urges Centre to pay rice dues

05-Mar-2025 02:51 PM

Telangana's Chief Minister recently urged the Union Food Minister to address the state’s long-standing dues related to rice supplied to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

The Telangana government has not received payment for rice delivered during the 2014-15 marketing season, with the outstanding amount being approximately Rs 1468.94 crore.

Additionally, the state has been waiting for payments for rice provided under various schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and the non-National Food Security Act (NFSA) programs.

The Chief Minister emphasized that these payments, some of which have been pending for over a decade, need to be cleared immediately. He also asked for clarity on the Rs 343.27 crore due for rice supplied between May 2021 and March 2022 under the PMGKAY scheme.

Another outstanding amount of Rs 79.09 crore, for additional rice distributed between June 2021 and April 2022 under a different NFSA scheme, was also highlighted.

Furthermore, the Telangana Chief Minister requested an extension of the period for Custom Milling Rice (CMR) from one to four months, to prevent disruptions in rice supply.

As Telangana is a key state in contributing rice to the central pool, these issues are critical for ensuring a smooth supply chain