Hyderabad: The Centre has extended the duration of Rabi rice milling and custom milled rice delivery in the state for Rabi season 2020-21 marketing season on May 31, 2022.
In a letter on May 4, the Central government informed the state department of consumer affairs, food and civil supplies that this is the last time center has extended the date of rice procurement. There will be no extension after this deadline.
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy wrote in a tweet, “The FCI has so far extended the deadline by six times to the Telangana state government for milling and supplying KMS 2020-21 rabi season grain. However, due to an untimely supply of grain, it is likely that the KMS 2020-21 Rabi season will end on May 31, 2022.”
He also thanked the Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal for giving the State government a seventh extension of the deadline, acting upon the request he had made in a letter to the Ministry.
“I hope the Telangana State Government will take advantage of this last opportunity given by the FCI and supply the remaining amount of grain in a timely manner,” Kishan Reddy tweeted.
On May 3, Telangana Civil Supplies Minister Gungula Kamalakar responded to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) attack on irregularities in rice mills. He questioned the main motive behind the FCI inspections in Telangana and termed the attacks were part of a conspiracy to prevent farmers from selling grain smoothly and embarrass the Telangana government.
According to the New Indian Express, 6.4 lakh tonnes of custom milled rice was yet to be delivered by the state government to FCI for Rabi 2020-21 marketing season. For the Kharif 2021-22 marketing season, 26.4 lakh tonnes of rice is yet to be delivered to FCI, for which July 31, 2022, is the deadline.
